China loses to Australia in FIFA World Cup qualifier

China suffered a 2-0 home loss to Australia in a FIFA World Cup qualifier here on Tuesday, leaving its chance of securing a spot in the 2026 tournament in serious jeopardy with only two games remaining.

Jackson Irvine gave the Socceroos an early lead 16 minutes into the match, as his first shot from the edge of the box was blocked, but Chinese defending midfielder Huang Zhengyu's slip allowed him to pounce on the loose ball and fire a shot into the far corner.

The visitor doubled its lead in the 29th minute when Nishan Velupillay capitalized on goalkeeper Wang Dalei's error as his close-range strike slipped through Wang's hands into the net.

Prior to the start of the second half, naturalized player Sai Erjiniao came off the bench to make his debut for China. His introduction boosted the host's attacking efforts but failed to produce a goal despite ovation from a record 70,588 attendance.

At the bottom of Group C with six points, China now has to go all out for wins over Indonesia and Bahrain in June to keep the World Cup dream alive.

The top two teams in each six-team group will directly qualify for the World Cup, while the third- and fourth-placed teams move into the next phase of qualifying.