Syria keep World Cup dream alive

Syria kept their remarkable quest for a place at the 2018 World Cup alive on Thursday with a last-gasp 1-0 victory over Uzbekistan to maintain their place in the race for automatic qualification.

The nation – currently gripped by conflict – have never reached the finals of a World Cup but have a real chance of making history this time around with a top-two place still within their grasp.

Playing in front of a crowd of just 350 in Malaysia, Omar Khribin’s 90th-minute penalty moved Syria to within a point of their opponents, who sit in the play-off spot in Group A.

Syria are just two points adrift of South Korea – who were beaten 1-0 by China – in the second automatic qualifying place, with a huge trip to Seoul looming on Tuesday.

Any positive result on Tuesday would give them a huge advantage heading into the final two games, given Syria face group strugglers Qatar and China.