The final round of the World Cup AFC qualifiers took place Tuesday and here we have the lowdown on each team competing for a place in Russia.
From key men to best World Cup finishes, we have you covered.
IRAN
NICKNAME: Team Melli
COACH: Carlos Quieroz
KEY PLAYER: Sardar Azmoun. Dubbed the ‘Iranian Messi’, Azmoun is one of the most exciting talents the country has ever produced. The 20-year-old Rubin Kazan striker enjoyed a breakthrough 2015 and will lead his country’s line in the third round.
HOW THEY GOT THIS FAR: Like the Saudis, Iran advanced with an unbeaten second round record, one that saw them dominate a weak group. They are looking for a second successive World Cup appearance for the first time in their history.
DID YOU KNOW? Iran withdrew from qualification for the 1986 World Cup after refusing to play their fixtures on neutral grounds due to their war with Iraq.
LAST WORLD CUP: Brazil 2014
WORLD CUP BEST: Round 1 in 1978, 1998, 2006, 2014
SOUTH KOREA
NICKNAME: The Taeguk Warriors
STADIUM: Seoul Olympic Stadium/Seoul World Cup Stadium
COACH: Uli Stielike
KEY PLAYER: Son Heung-Min. The Tottenham man has shared a title-challenging dressing room at White Hart Lane this season and will be buoyed by his club efforts. Six goals in four second round matches shows how good he is for his country.
HOW THEY GOT THIS FAR: South Korea found second round qualifying easy, winning all eight of their matches in Group G. One of the region’s heavyweights, their progression to the World Cup should be a formality having appeared at eight successive tournaments since 1986.
DID YOU KNOW? Interim Chelsea boss Guus Hiddink led the side to a World Cup semi-final on home soil in 2002, South Korea beating the likes of Portugal, Italy and Spain at the tournament.
LAST WORLD CUP: Brazil 2014
WORLD CUP BEST: Fourth place – Korea and Japan 2002
UZBEKISTAN
NICKNAME: White Wolves
STADIUM: Bunyodkor Stadium
COACH: Samvel Babayan
KEY PLAYER: Azizbek Haydarov. Al Shabab’s tough-tackling midfielder is the very definition of no-nonsense. He has the second worst disciplinary record in second round qualifying with three yellows and a red card but his aggressive approach will be needed if Uzbekistan are to reach the finals for the first time.
HOW THEY GOT THIS FAR: On the back of seven wins and a single loss, Uzbekistan reached the last stage of the regional qualifying again. But the Uzbeks have fallen at this hurdle in each of the five previous campaigns so they know it will be a tricky task ahead.
DID YOU KNOW? Although Uzbekistan have not qualified for a World Cup in their own right, they were formerly part of the USSR. They played their first match as an independent country in 1992 against Tajikistan.
LAST WORLD CUP: None
WORLD CUP BEST: N/A
CHINA
NICKNAME: Team Dragon
STADIUM: The Worker’s Stadium
COACH: Gao Hongbo
KEY PLAYER: Zeng Cheng. The Guangzhou Evergrande goalkeeper is one of the best on the continent and if he is on form to stem the flow of goals, China has a chance.
HOW THEY GOT THIS FAR: The Chinese scraped through Group C thanks to a win over table toppers Qatar in their final group game after another disappointing campaign – surprising given then growing influence of the country’s domestic league.
DID YOU KNOW? China have never scored a World Cup goal – their only appearance to date in 2002 saw them ship nine and fail to register at the other end.
LAST WORLD CUP: 2002
WORLD CUP BEST: Group stage – 2002
QATAR
NICKNAME: The Maroon
STADIUM: Khalifa International Stadium
COACH: Jose Daniel Correno
KEY PLAYER: Mohammed Musa. The Lekhwiya defender is a stalwart for his country and keeps their defence together. Four goals in qualifying also shows he has an eye for goal.
HOW THEY GOT THIS FAR: Qatar were highly impressive in the second round, losing just once and winning the remaining seven matches en route to finishing top of their group. It was encouraging for a team desperate to qualify for the World Cup on merit before hosting the event in 2022.
DID YOU KNOW? Qatar’s first World Cup qualifying match was a 2-0 win over Bahrain in 1977.
LAST WORLD CUP: None
WORLD CUP BEST: N/A
Qatar.
SYRIA
NICKNAME: Qasioun Eagles
STADIUM: Aleppo International Stadium, Abbasiyyin Stadium
COACH: None
KEY PLAYER: Oman Khribin. With seven goals in qualifying so far, Khribin has been integral to Syria’s progress. They will need the goals to continue if their World Cup dreams are to be fulfilled.
HOW THEY GOT THIS FAR: Syria were superb in reaching this stage, losing only to Japan – the eventual winners of their group. It led to the Syrians attempting to bring in Jose Mourinho as their manager – it is a vacancy they will be keen to fill ASAP as they search for what would be a remarkable spot at the World Cup against a backdrop of continuing political unrest in the country.
DID YOU KNOW? Syria were disqualified from qualifying for the last World Cup in Brazil after fielding an ineligible player, George Mourad, who had previously represented Sweden U21s.
LAST WORLD CUP: None
WORLD CUP BEST: N/A
Syria.