XIAMEN, Nov 20 — Japan moved closer to their eighth consecutive World Cup appearance with a dominant 3-1 victory over China. Koki Ogawa’s brace and Ko Itakura’s header gave Japan a 2-0 lead at halftime. China responded early in the second half with a goal from Lin Liangming, but Ogawa sealed the win six minutes later with his second.

The match, marked by a charged atmosphere and a brief pitch invasion, saw Japan continue their perfect qualification campaign with five wins and a draw in Group C. The top two teams in each group will qualify for the 2026 World Cup, and Japan’s victory puts them on the brink of securing their spot.

With Indonesia’s 2-0 upset over Saudi Arabia, Group C remains competitive, but Japan’s commanding performance keeps them in control. The team now looks ahead to home matches against Bahrain and Saudi Arabia in March