Son scores in Palestine draw in World Cup qualifiers

In Group B, Palestine -- nominally hosts for a game taking place in Jordan -- grabbed a surprise 12th-minute lead over South Korea thanks to Zaid Qunbar. The advantage lasted just four minutes, talisman and skipper Son firing in from close range to bring the Koreans level with his 51st goal for his country.

It was all South Korea after that and Son had a goal chalked off for offside late on, but Palestine held on for a valuable point that helps keep them alive. Despite the 1-1 stalemate the Koreans are firmly on course for the World Cup at the top of the group with four games to go.

In Group A, talented 21-year-old Abbosbek Fayzullaev scored the only goal to give Uzbekistan a 1-0 win over North Korea in Vientiane, the capital of Laos. It cemented the Uzbeks' place in the top two in the group, along with table-toppers Iran, who were 3-2 winners at Kyrgyzstan.

Teams finishing third and fourth in the three Asian groups will go through to a further round of qualifying. North Korea are rooted to the bottom of Group A and yet to win in six games in this phase of qualifying.

 

November 19, 2024