Maty Ryan saved a penalty for Australia as the Socceroos came from a goal down to get a 2-1 win over Saudi Arabia and seal a sixth successive FIFA World Cup appearance at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah on Tuesday.
The Saudis came into the contest needing to win by five goals or more to pass Australia on goal difference in their qualifying group and gave themselves the ideal start after taking a 19th minute lead through Abdulrahman Al-Obud.
However, Tony Popovic’s side equalised through Connor Metcalfe three minutes before the half-time break while Mitch Duke put the Socceroos ahead three minutes into the second half as the Saudis scrambled to get back in the game.
Salem Al-Dawsari had the chance to equalise for Saudi Arabia late on, only to be denied by Ryan on his 100th cap for Australia, who finish second in the qualifying group and join leaders, Japan, at the mundial holding next year in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Daichi Kamada scored a brace as Japan wrapped up a successful qualifying campaign in Osaka with a 6-0 drubbing of Indonesia, who will join Saudi Arabia in a qualifying playoff round alongside Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Iraq and Oman.
10-man Oman needed scrapped into the qualifying playoff round with a 1-1 draw against Palenstine in Jordan, thanks to a late equaliser Issam Al-Sabhi’s penalty deep in stoppage time after Palestine led for much of the second half through Oday Kharoub.
Elsewhere, Iran confirmed themselves as Group A winners with a 3-0 win over North Korea thanks to late goals by Mehdi Mohebi, Mehdi Taremi and Amirhossein Hosseinzadeh, while Uzbekistan, set for a historic first World Cup appearance, claimed a 3-0 win over Qatar.