International Friendlies
Saudi Arabia, also preparing for the FIFA World Cup 2026, suffered a 2-0 defeat against Algeria, Jordan drew with Mali, while Australia went down 3-0 against Colombia.
Japan secured a comfortable 3-0 victory over Bolivia with Daichi Kamada opening the scoring as early as the fourth minute before substitutes Shuto Machino and Keito Nakamura added goals in the second half.
The win capped Hajime Moriyasu’s 100th match in charge as head coach and also their second successive clean sheet following Friday's 2-0 win over Ghana.
Korea Republic edged Ghana 1-0 with Lee Tae-seok scoring in the 63rd minute.
Uzbekistan clinched the Al Ain International Cup on penalties after their match with Iran ended 0-0 after extra time.
Saudi Arabia struggled to break down a disciplined Algerian defence in Jeddah. The home side created few clear chances in the first half and were unable to convert.
Riyad Mahrez opened the scoring with a penalty in the 75th minute with Rafik Belghali sealing the win with a late strike in the 85th.
Jordan, preparing for the FIFA World Cup debut, could not break down a resilient Mali as the sides settled for a goalless draw.
Kuwait fought back to force a 2-2 draw with Gambia while Palestine fell 2-1 to Catalonia.
Australia defended resolutely but ultimately couldn’t prevent the late goals with James Rodríguez opening the scoring with a penalty in the 76th minute.
Luis Díaz then added a second in the 89th minute and Jefferson Lerma sealed the win in stoppage time with a header from a corner.
Photos: AFP
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