Kusini Yengi was the hero for Australia after scoring in the first minute and the 97th to help salvage a 2-2 draw away to Bahrain in their World Cup qualifier on Tuesday.
The result extended manager Tony Popovic's unbeaten start with the Socceroos to four matches, although three of those have been draws.
Things got off to a great start for the visitors, going a goal up inside 40 seconds after Portsmouth forward Kusini Yengi nipped in to intercept an underhit back pass from Sayid Mahdi Baqer and find the net.
Yengi had the next moment of note after hitting the post on 61 minutes from a Riley McGree cross, before a poor touch let him down when well-placed three minutes later.
Australia were made to pay for not killing the game, when Mahdi Abduljabbar lobbed Mat Ryan from 45 yards to get Bahrain level in the 75th minute. It went from bad to worse two minutes later, when Abduljabbar got his second following a defensive mix-up between Ryan and Hayden Matthews.
But Yengi rescued his side deep into stoppage time, reacting quickest to bury a ricocheting ball in the six-yard box. The result was Australia's fourth draw in six matches and leaves them second in Group C on seven points, with teams from third to sixth – including fifth-placed Bahrain – all on six.
Son Heung-min scored but South Korea were held to a 1-1 draw by Palestine in World Cup qualifying on Tuesday.
Tottenham forward Son netted in the 16th minute at Amman International Stadium in Jordan.
That came four minutes after Palestine had taken the lead through Zeid Qunbar.
Yet South Korea could not build on that momentum. Despite finishing with 15 shots, they accumulated only 0.84 expected goals (xG).
South Korea, who are six points clear in qualification Group B, had five shots on target, with Son having four of them, as Palestine held on for a memorable result.
In Group C, Japan consolidated their lead with a 3-1 defeat of China in Xiamen.
Koki Ogawa scored twice, opening the scoring and netting Japan's third.
Ko Itakura put Japan 2-0 up on the stroke of half-time, with Lin Liangming pulling one back for China early in the second half.
The match was briefly disrupted as some spectators ran onto the pitch.
Saudi Arabia had a stoppage-time goal ruled out as Herve Renard's first game since returning as Saudi Arabia head coach ended in a 0-0 draw against Australia in World Cup qualifying.
Sultan Al-Ghannam fired through a sea of bodies in the 94th minute of Thursday's Group C contest at AAMI Park, but the celebrations were cut short due to an offside infringement.
Referee Ali Saeed Al Naqbi had earlier irked the home side by awarding a 12th-minute penalty for an Ahmed Al-Kassar challenge on Mitch Duke, which was then overturned.
Replays showed the incident happened just outside the box, but Australia felt the Saudi keeper should have been sent off and not issued just a yellow card.
Joe Gauci pulled off a fine double save later in the first half, albeit the offside flag later went up, but it was Australia who did more to win the game prior to the late drama.
Brandon Borrello was played clean through on goal and opted to square to Riley McGree, who was unable to help the ball past covering defender Saud Abdulhamid in front of goal.
Data Debrief: Another blank for both sides
Australia entered this game without a goal against Saudi Arabia in 2,716 days - a run that will extend for a little while longer after this latest blank.
The Socceroos have failed to score in three of their five third-round qualifying games, while Saudi Arabia have gone three in a row without netting.
Tony Popovic's side will justifiably argue they did more to win the game, though, finishing with an expected goals value (xG) of 1.31 to Saudi Arabia's 0.05, but the teams remain locked on points in Group C.
Roberto Mancini has left his role as head coach of the Saudi Arabia national team, the country's football federation has confirmed.
Mancini reached a surprise agreement with the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) in 2023, just a few weeks after resigning as Italy coach.
However, the former Inter and Manchester City boss struggled to make an impact in the role, only winning seven of his 18 matches at the helm.
He also oversaw an underwhelming Asian Cup campaign in January, as Saudi Arabia were beaten in a last-16 penalty shoot-out by South Korea in Qatar.
A statement issued by the SAFF read: "The Board of Directors of the Saudi Football Federation and the coach of the national team, Roberto Mancini, reached a joint agreement today, which includes the end of the contractual relationship."
Mancini's position had reportedly been under consideration following a goalless draw with Bahrain earlier this month, a result that leaves them outside the automatic spots in their 2026 World Cup qualification group.
An own goal at either end saw Japan and Australia draw 1-1 in the third round of World Cup qualifying on Tuesday.
Australia's stuttering start to qualifying continued, as Cameron Burgess bundled into his own net as the visitors failed to hold onto their lead.
It was all Japan in the opening stages, but despite their first-half dominance, they struggled to create an opening, with only Ritsu Doan testing Joe Gauci.
Australia, whose only shot came in the seventh minute, took the lead against the run of play – Lewis Miller's low cross was turned into the back of the net by Shogo Taniguchi, who should have done better with the clearance.
Japan got their own slice of luck in the 76th minute though, as Keito Nakamura weaved his way down the left to the byline before pulling it back into the middle, and Gauci could not keep out Burgess' attempted block.
The hosts attempted to push for a late winner, but Australia sat deep to protect what could prove a crucial point against another of Asia's best teams.
Data Debrief: Firing blanks
It was far from a classic, with both teams offering little in terms of attacking threat. In fact, Australia did not manage a single shot on target, only logging one overall.
Indeed, their expected goals (xG) tells the story, with Australia mustering just 0.01, in contrast to Japan's 0.76, which came from 12 shots, and only three of those were on target.
Taniguchi's own goal is the fourth that Australia have benefitted from in 2024, while only in 2018 have they ever recorded more such goals (five).
Australia's wastefulness in front of goal cost them in World Cup qualifying once more as they drew 0-0 with Indonesia on Tuesday.
Nestory Irankunda came closest for the Socceroos, hitting the woodwork, as Graham Arnold's side failed to pick up their first win in the third round of the 2026 AFC World Cup qualifiers.
Indonesia had an early flurry of chances, with Sandy Walsh and Rafael Struick both testing Mat Ryan inside the opening 17 seconds.
Australia dominated after that though, with Harry Souttar seeing a couple of efforts saved in quick succession before Irankunda struck the woodwork from range just after the half-hour mark.
The visitors pushed for an opening in the second half but struggled to create many chances of note as Craig Goodwin had Australia's only shot on target after the break.
Witan Sulaeman almost snatched it at the end, but missed a glorious chance in the dying seconds, poking a close-range shot wide of the near post under no pressure.
Data Debrief: Socceroos fire another blank
Australia suffered a shock 1-0 defeat to Bahrain in their last match, with a Souttar own goal compounding their misery that day.
And their lack of a clinical edge cost them once more against Indonesia, as they had 19 shots (five on target); they last recorded more without scoring against the United Arab Emirates in January 2019 in the Asian Cup (22).
Meanwhile, Indonesia's defence stayed resolute, but they offered little in terms of attacking threat, managing only two shots on target, which both came within a second of each other.
Japan kickstarted their 2026 World Cup qualifying third-round campaign with an emphatic 7-0 victory over China PR at Saitama Stadium.
Liverpool's Wataru Endo and Brighton's Kaoru Mitoma got themselves on the scoresheet to hand the hosts a comfortable two-goal advantage at half-time.
But Hajime Moriyasu's side turned on the style after the break, with a brace from Takumi Minamino followed up with goals from Junya Ito, Daizen Maeda and Takefusa Kubo.
The hosts took the lead in the 12th minute as Endo headed home Kubo's inviting corner-kick, with Mitoma adding Japan's second two minutes into time added on.
Minamino struck twice in six minutes shortly after the break, with Ito then netting his second goal in three appearances against China in the World Cup qualifiers.
The Reims attacker would turn provider for Japan's final two finishes, first teeing up Maeda before picking out Kubo, who rifled the ball beyond Wang Dalei.
Data Debrief: Samurai Blue show China the sword
Japan have now restricted their opponents to just one shot (none on target) in two consecutive matches in the World Cup qualifiers, with China registering an expected goals (xG) figure of just 0.03.
Moriyasu's side dominated the contest from start to finish, accumulating 102 final-third entries to China's 33, also recording 33 touches in the opposition's box compared to their opponents' one.
Kubo and Minamino were the pick of the bunch for Japan, recording the joint-most shots (four) and shots on target (two).
Harry Souttar's 89th minute own-goal handed Bahrain a memorable victory over Australia, emerging 1-0 victors at the Cbus Super Stadium.
The visitors were handed the advantage late on after Kusini Yengi's straight red card, with Souttar turning home Mahdi Al Humaidan's cross after a spell of pressure.
Australia were restricted to few opportunities in the first half, with Craig Goodwin and Yengi going close in quick succession just before the interval.
Despite registering 69.3% of possession in the opening half, the hosts managed just five shots at Ebrahim Lutfallah's net, only one of which was on target.
Graham Arnold's side struggled to penetrate Bahrain's stern defensive shape, with their task made even more difficult when Yengi was given his marching orders for a high foot on Sayed Baqer.
And there would be a further twist in the tale as Al Humaidan drove to the byline before delivering into the area, with the outstretched knee of Souttar diverting it past Mat Ryan for Bahrain's first goal against the Socceroos in 18 years.
It marked a nightmare start for Australia in the third round of the 2026 AFC World Cup qualifiers, with both Japan and Saudi Arabia to come.
Data Debrief: Socceroos fail to jump into gear
Australia can only blame themselves for their defeat on home soil, generating an expected goals (xG) total of 0.79 from the 11 shots they registered in the encounter.
They also managed 20 touches in the opposition's penalty area, compared to Bahrain's four, while also ending the contest with 71% possession.
Bahrain, meanwhile, will count their lucky stars having only managed an xG of 0.07, managing just one shot on target from the three they attempted.
Ajdin Hrustic's late deflected strike sealed a 2-1 victory over the United Arab Emirates that put Australia one win away from the World Cup.
The Socceroos could not muster a shot on target in the first half of a do-or-die play-off at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium and they were indebted to Mat Ryan for twice denying Harib Abdalla Suhail at his near post.
Australia got into their stride after break and were in front when Jackson Irvine turned in Martin Boyle's cross from close range with 53 minutes gone.
The UAE were level four minutes later when Caio Canedo fired into the roof of the net from six yards out with his left foot after Suhail's cross caused panic in the Socceroos defence.
Craig Goodwin missed a great chance to put Graham Arnold's side back in front, but the decisive moment came six minutes from time as Hrustic let fly with a powerful left-foot strike that hit Ali Salmeen and gave goalkeeper Khalid Eisa no chance.
Australia will face Peru in an intercontinental play-off at the same venue next Monday, with the winner sealing their place in the showpiece in Qatar. The UAE's wait for a first World Cup appearance since 1990 goes on.
Australia were unable to finish on a high in the third round of World Cup qualifying as they fell to a 1-0 defeat in a dead rubber against Saudi Arabia in Jeddah.
A 2-0 loss to Japan last Thursday ended the Socceroos' hopes of earning automatic qualification to Qatar 2022 with Salem-Al Dawsari's second-half penalty securing top spot in Group B for the Green Falcons.
Awer Mabil narrowly missed the target from Martin Boyle's cross in the 12th minute and the latter had a goal ruled out following a lengthy VAR review shortly before half-time.
Graham Arnold replaced Bruno Fornaroli with debutant Nicholas D'Agostino at half-time but Saudi Arabia continued to control possession.
The hosts were awarded a penalty when James Jeggo clipped Sami Al Najei and Al Dawsari coolly guided the spot-kick into the bottom-right corner.
Australia did not go close to finding an equaliser – Ajdin Hrustic wasted their best opportunity – and needed Mat Ryan to stop Firas Al Buraikan making it 2-0 in the final 10 minutes.
The Socceroos must now take on the United Arab Emirates for a place in an intercontinental play-off against a South American team, where a place in Qatar will be on the line.
A brace from Abdullah Fawaz, including a late penalty, earned Oman a 2-2 draw with Australia, putting a dent in the Socceroos' hopes of an automatic qualifying spot for the 2022 World Cup.
While they are guaranteed at least a playoff spot in Group B of Asia's World Cup qualifiers, Australia now sit three points behind Japan and four adrift of leaders Saudi Arabia with two games to play.
Australia were denied the lead in the fifth minute after Trent Sainsbury's header from an Aaron Mooy free-kick was ruled out by an offside flag, but the visitors had a penalty just nine minutes later when Oman goalkeeper Faiyz Al Rusheidi brought down Martin Boyle, and Jamie Maclaren successfully placed his spot kick high to the keeper's left.
Oman levelled in sensational style early in the second half as Abdullah received a pass from the left by Munzer Al-Alawi before firing a fierce strike high into the top-left corner, giving Mat Ryan no chance.
Australia regained the lead with just over ten minutes to go when a cross from the left was headed down to substitute Mitchell Duke, who cushioned the ball back for Mooy to fire past Al Rusheidi.
However, more drama followed as substitute Muhsen Al Ghassani was felled by Fran Karacic in the box, and Abdullah sent Ryan the wrong way with his penalty to earn Oman a draw and dampen Australia's hopes of a top-two finish.
Australia were forced to settle for a point in their World Cup qualifier against China after a 1-1 draw in the UAE.
After winning 11 games in a row, including a 3-0 victory against China in the reverse fixture in September, the Socceroos are now winless in three – their worst such run since June 2018.
Australia led in this match, though, following a quiet start, as Martin Boyle's cross was headed in emphatically by Mitch Duke seven minutes before the break.
Despite creating little for the first hour, China were level on 70 minutes when James Jeggo was adjudged by a VAR review to have handled in the penalty area, allowing Wu Lei to send Mat Ryan the wrong way from the spot.
Both sides pushed for a winner in the closing stages, but neither came particularly close to getting it, forced instead to make do with a point apiece.
The draw sees Australia move on to 11 points in Group B in the third round of AFC World Cup qualifying, five behind leaders Saudi Arabia, while China have five points.
Saudi Arabia remain top of World Cup qualifying Group B after they held second-placed Australia to a goalless draw in a feisty contest at the Western Sydney Stadium.
Playing their first home game since October 2019 and backed by an expectant crowd in driving rain on Thursday, the Socceroos were devoid of quality in the final third as they had to settle for a point.
Herve Renard's men lost their 100 per cent record, but remain three points clear of Australia and on course to secure their place in the World Cup in Qatar next year.
The Socceroos - missing Tom Rogic, Aaron Mooy and Adam Taggart - made a strong start but lacked a cutting edge as Ajdin Hrustic was off target before Awer Mabil fired wide.
Graham Arnold's side continued to dictate the play after the break, with Mathew Leckie forcing a save from Mohammed Al Yami and Jackson Irvine side-footing wastefully wide from close range.
Al Yami denied Martin Boyle with his feet after making a hard work of keeping out a tame Mabil free-kick, while Mat Ryan thwarted Salman Al-Faraj and Salem Al Dawsari at the other end.
Australia defender Harry Souttar was carried off with a serious looking injury before Saleh Al-Shehri nodded just wide and Salem Al-Dawsari had a long-range drive saved by Ryan as Saudi Arabia finished strongly
Al-Dawsari called Ryan into action again with a long-range drive, but neither side could conjure up a winner on a miserable evening in Parramatta.
Australia's perfect record in World Cup 2022 qualifying was ended in a 2-1 defeat to Japan on Tuesday.
The Socceroos had won all 11 games on the road to Qatar – setting a record in the process – and each of their last 12 games stretching back into the last campaign.
But Ao Tanaka's early strike in Saitama and a late own goal from Aziz Behich, either side of Ajdin Hrustic's leveller, inflicted a first competitive defeat on Australia since January 2019.
Graham Arnold's side could now see top spot in Group B relinquished to Saudi Arabia, who play later on Thursday. Only the top two sides will qualify automatically for the World Cup.
Japan entered the game unbeaten in seven meetings with Australia and they were ahead inside eight minutes when Tanaka drilled a low shot into the bottom-left corner.
Australia went close to equalising before half-time as Adam Taggart's shot was tipped onto the upright and Aaron Mooy's effort was blocked in front of goal from the follow-up.
The visitors then had a penalty overturned as the officials felt Hidemasa Morita's challenge on Hrustic was outside the box, but the fouled player still made Japan pay as his powerful free-kick crashed in off the underside off the crossbar.
But it was Japan who snatched a winner with five minutes remaining.
Mat Ryan could only parry substitute Takuma Asano's deflected shot into the air and Behich, in an attempt to clear the ball from under the crossbar, turned it into his own net.
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