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Seoul (AFP) – South Korea topped the first group of the third round of the Asian qualifiers for the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar, by defeating its guest Iran 2-0 on Thursday, following we had previously guaranteed qualification.
This is Iran’s first loss following 7 victories and a draw. It fell to second place (22), a point behind the “Taeguk Warriors” (23).
The two winning goals for South Korea were scored by Tottenham star, attacking captain Son Heung-min (45 + 2), and Ulsan Hyundai defender Kim Young-gwon (63).
South Korea participated in the World Cup finals for the first time in 1954, to be absent 30 years later, before returning to the World Cup in Mexico 1986 and retaining its place since then. The best result of the “Red Tigers” remains when they achieved the surprise by occupying fourth place in the 2002 World Cup, which their country hosted jointly with Japan, and remains the only Asian team to reach the World Cup semi-finals.
As for Iran, it will compete in the sixth finals in its history following 1978, 1998, 2006, 2014 and 2018.
In the last tenth round, South Korea will play on UAE soil in Dubai, and Iran will receive Lebanon in Mashhad.
Also playing in the same group on Thursday, Iraq (5) with the third Emirates (9) at King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh, and Lebanon (6) with Syria (2) at the Municipal Stadium in Sidon.
The champion and runner-up of each of the two groups qualifies directly to the World Cup, while the winner between the third of this group and Australia, the third of the second group, will play an international play-off once morest the fifth of South America in June.
© 2022 AFP
