Qatar see off Maldives in Asian WC qualifier
AFP
AFP, DOHA: Qatar and Thailand took huge steps towards the next round of 2018 World Cup qualifiers after notching up resounding victories on Tuesday. Qatar thrashed Maldives 4-0 in Doha to record their fifth straight win in the qualifiers to enjoy a five-point cushion ahead of Hong Kong in Group C. In Hanoi, Thailand trounced South-East Asian rivals Vietnam 3-0 in front of 35,000 spectators in Goup F.
In Group B, giantkillers Jordan consolidated their position at the top with a 3-0 rout of Tajikistan. Hamza al-Daradreh, who had scored a pivotal role in Jordans upset of Australia last week, was once again the hero with two goals while Hassan Abdel Fattah completed the tally.
War-torn Syria also boosted their chances of qualifying with a 5-2 win over Afghanistan in Muscat which took their tally to 12 from five matches in group E.
North Korea also boosted their hopes of advancing to the next round after a 1-0 home win over Yemen while Singapore and Hong Kong claimed narrow wins against Cambodia and Bhutan respectively. Cambodia also remained pointless in Group E after they lost 2-1 at Singapore. Meanwhile, Malaysia and Laos moved off the bottom of their groups after picking up the first wins of their campaign. Malaysia won 1-0 at Timor Leste in Group A with a 10th minute strike by Amri Yahyah while Myanmar came from a goal down to beat Laos 3-1 in Group G.
