Japan, Australia and Saudi Arabia grouped together in third round of Asian World Cup qualifying

Japan, Australia and Saudi Arabia will face each other in the third round of Asia's World Cup qualification for a third cycle in a row following Thursday's draw in Kuala Lumpur. The three powerhouses, with 19 World Cup appearances between them, have been placed in Group C with Bahrain, China and Indonesia. The top two from each of the three groups of six will qualify for the World Cup, while the six teams that finish third and fourth will progress to the fourth round of qualification to play off for two more places.