KUALA LUMPUR: China’s hopes of reaching the 2018 World Cup were dealt a huge blow on Tuesday as they were held to a 0-0 draw in Hong Kong in a tense Group ‘C’ encounter.

The result means that China, looking to add to their only appearance at the tournament in 2002, are now seven points behind group leaders Qatar and three adrift of Hong Kong in second with two games remaining in the second round of qualification.

Only the eight group winners and four best second-place teams will progress to the last stage of Asia’s road to Russia.

China hit the woodwork twice and had a goal controversially disallowed but just could not find a way past a resolute Hong Kong backline.

Now the world’s most populous nation, currently in third place in the group, need to win their remaining two games in a bid to become one of the four best runners-up.

That result enabled Qatar to confirm top spot and a place in the final stage with a 3-0 win, a sixth successive victory, over Bhutan.

Elsewhere, Asia’s major powers all recorded comfortable victories.

Veteran forward Tim Cahill scored his second international hat-trick as Australia thrashed Bangladesh 4-0 in a match played under heavy security following safety warnings in Dhaka.

Already Australia’s all-time leading scorer with 42 goals before the Group ‘B’ clash, Cahill took his career tally 45 with three first-half strikes in front of a boisterous near-packed crowd at the Bangabandhu National Stadium.

Captain Mile Jedinak also found the net as the reigning Asian champions cruised to 4-0 lead by halftime then took their foot off the gas.

Australia’s resounding win took them to the top of the standings with 15 points from six matches. Jordan are second, two points behind the Socceroos, after they lost 1-0 to Kyrgyzstan who moved to 11 points.

South Korea made it six wins out of six in Group ‘G’ with two goals each for Son Heung-min of Tottenham Hotspur and Swansea City’s Ki Sung-yeung, helping the Taeguk Warriors to a 5-0 win over Laos.

Japan won 2-0 against Cambodia and are one point ahead of Syria in Group ‘E’ after Omar Kharbin scored his second in the 93rd minute at the National Stadium in Singapore to seal a 2-1 win for the Syrians.

In Phnom Penh, Japan had an own goal from Cambodia’s Laboravy Khoun to thank before AC Milan’s Keisuke Honda got their second in the final minute in an unexpectedly tough evening.

Mohammed Al Sahlawi belted five goals past East Timor including two penalties as Saudi Arabia ran riot in Dili with a 10-0 win cementing their position at the top of Group ‘A’. They remain three points ahead of UAE who won 2-1 at Malaysia.

Despite missing captain Andranik Teymourian and three other players reportedly due to visa issues, Iran thrashed Guam 6-0 in Group ‘D’.

Media reports in Tehran said some players and staff were unable to enter Guam, but Carlos Queiroz’s Iran squad had few difficulties on the field.

Mehdi Taremi opened the scoring after 12 minutes and Iran, aiming to reach a fifth World Cup, dominated throughout the game to move three points ahead of Oman who lost 2-1 in Turkmenistan.

Elsewhere, North Korea defeated Bahrain 2-0 and Iraq won 2-0 in Taiwan.

Published in Dawn, November 18th, 2015