Japan has become the first team to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup following their 2-0 win over Bahrain earlier on Thursday.
Daichi Kamada and Takefusa Kubo popped up with the goals in the second half after they failed to sparkle on a chilly night in Saitama until substitute Kamada pounced for the opener in the 66th minute.
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In front of nearly 60,000 fans, Kubo added another in the 87th minute as Japan sealed their berth in style.
In another game in Group C, two goals in two minutes helped the Socceroos secure a 5-1 thrashing of Indonesia as Dutch legend Patrick Kluivert was well beaten in his first game in charge.
Japan lead by 19 points. Australia are second on 10 points, four clear of the chasing pack of Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Bahrain and China. Australia have three games left to play, starting with a crunch away fixture against China on Tuesday.
The top two go straight to North America, with teams finishing third and fourth in the three Asian groups going into a further round of qualifying.
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