Turkmenistan

LONG READ As Central Asia prepares to be represented at the World Cup for the first time by Uzbekistan FFT visited the region to witness a European match near the Chinese border

Australia slipped to their first defeat of AFC World Cup qualifying as they were beaten 2-0 by Jordan in Group B on Thursday.

Australia Asian Cup champions Australia will begin their quest to reach a fourth-successive World Cup finals against Jordan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Bangladesh.

Hajime Moriyasu goes into his first tournament as Japan's head coach confident about their chances in the 2019 Asian Cup.

In a day of emphatic wins in AFC World Cup qualifying, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates both won by double figures.

Pim Verbeek Pim Verbeek's Oman will be in a good position to qualify for the Asian Cup's knockout phase in third if they beat Turkmenistan.

Yuya Osako Japan were grateful to Yuya Osako after his brace turned the tide and denied Turkmenistan the latest upset win at the Asian Cup.

Singapore secured a shock World Cup qualifying draw in Japan on a day in which the tiny island of Guam celebrated victory over India.

Héctor Cúper Uzbekistan can progress to the last 16 with victory over neighbours Turkmenistan, who gave Japan a scare in their tournament opener.