CHANGSHA: Yu Dabao struck in the first half as Marcello Lippi’s China stunned South Korea 1-0 to keep their slim World Cup hopes alive on Thursday.

The Beijing Guoan forward’s header ensured China’s first win of in the final qualifying group — and only their second victory over the Koreans in 32 attempts.

The victory sent a packed Helong Stadium into raptures as China, who were bottom and winless after five games in Group A, gave themselves a glimmer of hope of reaching Russia 2018.

The game was played against the backdrop of high political tensions following Chinese anger over South Korea’s deployment of a controversial missile defence system.

In front of a partisan crowd and a heavy security presence, South Korea were on top early on but they had a warning when Yu forced a smart save from Kwoun Sun-Tae near the half-hour.

And Yu broke through on 34 minutes when he nodded China ahead from a corner — ending a 407-minute goal drought stretching back to their 3-2 defeat to the Koreans in September.

Saudi Arabia slapped Thailand down in a crushing 3-0 victory in another qualifier on Thursday, with two strikes sandwiching a devastating own-goal from the War Elephants on their home turf.

The win cements Saudi Arabia’s leading spot in Group ‘B’ and propels the team one step closer to the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

It also ended Thailand’s hope of exacting revenge over the hotly-contested penalty kick that handed the Saudis a 1-0 win in the final minutes of a match in Riyadh last September.

But passionate roars from Bangkok’s fan-packed Rajamangala stadium on Thursday were not enough to propel the players to victory.

Saudi Arabia’s sharpshooter Mohammed Al Sahlawi put his team on top early on when he took a pass from Nawaf Al Abid down on his chest and struck the ball into the net in the 25th minute.

Thailand held up an admirable defence throughout most of the match and looked dangerous a number of times.

But the team was unable to deliver a goal and morale plummeted after Tanaboon Kesarat accidentally turned the ball into his own net in the 84th minute as he tried to block a cross.

The brutal defeat was sealed in an action-packed finale as Taisir Al Jassim set Salman Almuwashar up for for killer strike in injury time in the 92nd minute.

Results:

Group ‘A’:

China 1South Korea 0

Syria 1Uzbekistan 0

Group ‘B’:

Thailand 0Saudi Arabia 3

Iraq 1Australia 1

Published in Dawn, March 24th, 2017