Key Events Match Report
On September 5, the first round of Group C in the third stage of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers for Asia saw Australia host Bahrain.
In the 2nd minute, Sicardi chose to shoot from outside the penalty area, and the goalkeeper worked hard to clear the ball out for a corner. In the 28th minute, Boyle attempted a shot directly in the box but was blocked by a defender, failing to pose a threat.
In the 30th minute, Mahong delivered a free-kick from the left front into the box, but it was cleared out for a corner by a defending player.
In the 33rd minute, Goodwin broke through on the right side of the penalty area and crossed the ball, but O’Neill’s shot went high. In the 42nd minute, Goodwin sent a cross from the left into the box, and Yan Ji, facing an open goal, surprisingly missed the target.
The first half ended with both sides temporarily at 0-0.
Player List
Australia’s starting lineup: 1-Ryan; 16-Behich; 4-Rolls; 19-Souttar; 13-Sicardi; 22-Owen; 6-Boyle; 5-O’Neill; 8-Metcalfe; 23-Goodwin; 11-Yan Ji; Substitutes: 12-Izzo; 18-Joe Gascoigne; 21-Burgess; 2-Deng; 10-Mabil; 17-Nisbet; 14-Devlin; 9-Taggart; 15-Duke; 7-Silvira; 20-Ilanqunda;
Bahrain’s starting lineup: 22-Lutfalla; 16-Bajir; 2-Ben Nadi; 23-Harashi; 17-Immanuel; 19-Aswad; 8-Mahong; 14-Halal; 4-Fadel Asfur; 7-Madan; 12-Abd Al Jabbar; Substitutes: 21-Dosari; 1-Amer Ahmed; 3-Hayam; 5-Al Shamssan; 6-Nabil; 10-Malood; 15-Al Shakr; 13-Atted; 11-Al Hatem; 20-Al Humaidan; 18-Ali; 9-Karim;