Asian countries are not merely making up the numbers at the World Cup. For the first time, Asia has nine teams in an expanded tournament. Pre-tournament murmurs suggested the increased numbers could dilute the competitive factor, but first-round results indicate those fears were unfounded.
Encouraging Results Across the Board
Six of the nine Asian teams picked up encouraging results. South Korea came from behind to edge past Czechia 2-1. Australia defeated Turkiye convincingly. Japan held highly-rated Netherlands to an entertaining 2-2 draw with a last-gasp goal. Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Iran also took points off higher-ranked opponents. Even Jordan and Uzbekistan showed bravery in their World Cup debuts.
Expert Praise for Asian Football
“I am not surprised at all,” said former Croatia coach Igor Stimac, who has considerable experience coaching in Iran, Qatar, and India. “They showed a lot of heart with their performances. Jordan and Uzbekistan were enjoying football, playing their hearts. There was no parking the bus, regardless of the gulf in rankings.”
AFC Official Celebrates Progress
Shaji Prabhakaran, executive committee member at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), called it a “great opening period” for Asian football. “The start against European opponents was terrific,” Prabhakaran told TOI in a video call from the US. “Asian football has been on the rise. Japan and Korea have plenty of players in Europe. They are dangerous and I expect at least one Asian team to go far. Japan have been very consistent. Their engaging draw against Netherlands would have given them confidence that they can give anyone a run for their reputation at the World Cup.”
Fearlessness Against Elite Opponents
Prabhakaran said Asian teams no longer fear higher-ranked elite opposition. This was evident from South Korea’s comeback win over Czechia, Australia’s victory against Turkiye, and Saudi Arabia’s hard-fought draw against Uruguay, which left Group H deadlocked after Cabo Verde’s stunning draw against Spain. However, if the first round was full of hope, second-round games proved to be a dampener.
