World Cup 2006 Qualifying Groups: Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania, South America

World Cup 2006 Qualifying Draw: Asia

Asia has 4.5 berths at the 2006 World Cup. The eight winners of the preliminary groups of four teams advance to the next round of qualifying matches. The top two teams in each four-team second-round group qualify automatically for World Cup 2006. The two third-place teams meet in a home-and-home play-off to decide who will face the fourth-place team from the CONCACAF confederation in a two-leg play-off with the winner qualifying for the World Cup.

The following teams progressed to the final stage of qualifying:
*Japan, *South Korea, North Korea, Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan, Bahrain.
The draw will be made December 9 with the dates set for matches February 9, March 25, 30; June 3, 8; & August 17, 2005.

* Seeded Teams

Latest Results Update 12 October

Bahrain's 0-0 home draw with Uzbekistan puts the Gulf state through to a November play-off against Trinidad and Tobago for a place at the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany™.

7 September

Uzbekistan and Bahrain will have to replay their September 3rd match because of an officiating error. Due to a mistake by referee Toshimitsu Yoshida, the Uzbek win has been voided--and the replay will take place on October 8 in Manama. Strangely, the error was a call that went against Uzbekistan, which went on to win 1-0 in spite of the bad call.

3 September

Uzbekistan defeated visiting Bahrain 1-0 in the first of match of a home-and-away to determine which team will finish in fifth place.

17 August

Japan 2 Iran 1
Japan avenges an earlier loss to Iran and wins its division. Both teams had already qualified, and most of the A-team players skipped the match.

Korea 0 Saudi Arabia 1
Uzbekistan 3 Kuwait 2
Bahrain 2 North Korea 3

8 June

North Korea 0 Japan 2 (played behind closed doors in Bangkok, Thailand)
Japan qualify for World Cup 2006! Japan became the first team to qualify for the 2006 World Cup behind hosts Germany with goals from Messina striker Atsushi Yanagisawa and subsitute Gamba Osaka's Masashi Oguro.

3 June

Iran 1 North Korea 0
Bahrain 0 Japan 1
Saudi Arabia 3 Kuwait 0
Uzbekistan 1 South Korea 1

Second Stage Groups

Group A

Group B

Asia World Cup Qualifiers - First Stage Previews, Results & Tables

Asia World Cup Qualifiers - First Stage Reviews, Results & Tables

First Group Stage: Final Standings

Group 1 Table

Group 2 Table

Group 3 Table

Group 4 Table

Group 5 Table

Group 6 Table

Group 7 Table

Group 8 Table

World Cup 2006 Qualifying Groups: Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania, South America

World Cup 2006

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