Nov 20, (V7N) - Australia coach Tony Popovic praised his side’s resilience after the Socceroos fought back to secure a crucial 2-2 draw against Bahrain in a thrilling World Cup qualifying match in Riffa.

Australia made an electric start, taking the lead in just 38 seconds through Kusini Yengi. However, Bahrain responded fiercely in the second half with Mahdi Abduljabbar scoring twice in quick succession in the 75th and 77th minutes, putting the hosts ahead 2-1.

With the clock ticking down in stoppage time, Yengi emerged as the hero once again, netting his second goal in the 96th minute to snatch a vital point for Australia.

“It was a crazy game,” Popovic said after the match. “We showed a lot of character to come back and get an important point.” The coach, who took over the reins from Graham Arnold in September, has now overseen one win and three draws, as the Socceroos look to secure their place in the 2026 World Cup.

Popovic admitted that while Australia would have liked to have secured wins in their previous matches, the draw still leaves them in a strong position to qualify. “We’re second in the table — very different from where we were four games ago,” he said, noting the competitive nature of the group, where apart from Japan, teams are consistently taking points off each other.

With four matches left, Australia sits second in Asian Group C, just one point ahead of Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and China. The top two teams in the group will secure automatic qualification for the World Cup in North America.

Australia’s upcoming fixtures in March will be crucial, with matches at home to Indonesia and away to China. Popovic emphasized the importance of performing well in the March window: “We’ve got to make sure that March is a very good window for us.”

Should Australia fall short of finishing second in the group, their World Cup hopes are still alive, as they would advance to the next round of qualifying if they finish third or fourth.

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