Saudi Arabia draw against China - with World Cup spot already sealed

Gulf nation held 1-1 in Group B but Australia's earlier loss to Japan means they are through to Qatar 2022

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  Zhu Chenjie scores an 82nd-minute equaliser from the penalty spot in the World Cup 2022 Group B qualifier between China and Saudi Arabia in Sharjah, UAE, on Thursday, March 24, 2022. Pawan Singh / The National

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  Saudi Arabia goalkeeper Mohammed Alowais fails to stop Zhu Chenjie's penalty. AP

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  China's players celebrate with Zhu Chenjie after he scored the equaliser against Saudi Arabia in Sharjah. Pawan Singh / The National

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  China's players celebrate with Zhu Chenjie after he scored the equaliser. Pawan Singh / The National

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  Saudi Arabia's Abdullah Alkhainari, left, and Mohammed Kanno celebrate Saleh Al Shehri's opening goal. AP

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  Saleh Al Shehri of Saudi Arabia celebrating after scoring the opening goal against China. Pawan Singh / The National

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  Saleh Al Shehri celebrates his goal. Pawan Singh / The National

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  Salem Al Dawsari of Saudi Arabia wins the ball. Pawan Singh / The National

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  Players battle for the ball. Pawan Singh / The National

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  Salman Al Faraj of Saudi Arabia in action. Pawan Singh / The National

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  Saudi Arabia midfielder Salem Al Dawsari is closed down by China's Zheng Zheng and Zhu Chenjie. AFP

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  Mohamed Kanno of Saudi Arabia in action. Pawan Singh / The National

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  China's Dabao Yu heads the ball during the World Cup 2022 qualifier against Saudi Arabia in Sharjah. AP

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  Hao Junmin of China and Ahmed Sharahili tussle. Pawan Singh / The National

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  China's Yang Liu and Saudi Arabia's Abdulaziz Al Beshi fight for the ball. AP

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  China's defender Zheng Zheng pressures Saudi Arabia midfielder Hattan Bahebri. AFP

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  Salman Al Faraj of Saudi Arabia plays the ball forward. Pawan Singh / The National

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  Saudi Arabia's Fahad Al Muwallad attempts an overhead kick. AFP

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  Fahad Al Muwallad of Saudi Arabia in action. Pawan Singh / The National

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  Saudi Arabia's Hatan Babhir shoots under pressure from China's Bin Bin Liu. AP

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  Yu Dabao of China receives a yellow card. Getty

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  China's Junmin Hao and Saudi Arabia's Salman Alfaraj battle. AP

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  China's Dai Wai-Tsun and Saudi Arabia's Ahmed Sharahili fight for the ball, AP

With a place at the World Cup sealed hours before without even kicking a ball, Saudi Arabia then failed to finish Thursday with a flourish when they were held to a 1-1 draw by China in Sharjah.

The Gulf side had entered the final round’s penultimate match day top of Group B and, by the time they met fifth-placed China at the neutral Sharjah Stadium, had already secured their spot at Qatar 2022.

Australia, in third, fell to Japan earlier in the day in Sydney, the 2-0 reverse Down Under sinking the hosts’ chances of automatic qualification.

So Saudi and Japan were left with the substantially less fraught task of battling to conclude the campaign as group winners. Heading into Tuesday’s finale, it is Japan who sit in pole, one point clear of their Saudi counterparts following the latter's slightly sluggish evening’s work in the Emirates.

Herve Renard’s side were superior for much of the match having taken the lead, finally, during first-half injury time. Captain Salman Al Faraj, back fully fit and once more setting his side’s tempo, curled a wicked corner into the China area, which was met perfectly by Saleh Al Shehri to head home.

Having raced beyond the front post, the Saudi striker did brilliantly to flick the ball right across the six-yard box and inside the opposite upright.

England train for international friendlies - in pictures

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  England Harry Kane under pressure from Jordan Henderson during training at St George's Park, Stoke-on-Trent, on Tuesday, March 22. England face Switzerland and Ivory Coast in friendly fixtures. Getty

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  England's Bukayo Saka and Phil Foden during training. Reuters

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  England attacker Ollie Watkins during training. Reuters

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  Mason Mount and Luke Shaw during training. Reuters

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  England midfielder Conor Gallagher. Reuters

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  England attacker Jack Grealish signs a football. PA

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  England defender Harry Maguire speaks with Tyrone Mings. PA

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  England's Mason Mount and Harry Maguire battle for the ball. PA

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  England's Bukayo Saka being interviewed at St George's Park. PA

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  England new boy Tyrick Mitchell controls the ball. PA

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  England players at St George's Park. AFP

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  England's Harry Kane with Conor Gallagher. PA

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  England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford makes a save. Reuters

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  England attacker Ollie Watkins. Reuters

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  England attacker Jack Grealish controls the ball. PA

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  England's Mason Mount during training. Reuters

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  England other new call-up, Marc Guehi, during training. PA

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  England striker Harry Kane. Reuters

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  England striker Ollie Watkins. AFP

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  Phil Foden during training. Getty

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  England defender John Stones. AFP

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  England attacker Phil Foden. PA

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  England's Jack Grealish holding a ball at training. PA

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  England manager Gareth Southgate with coach Chris Powell. PA

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  England's Mason Mount during training. PA

Until then, Saudi had dominated possession and fired willingly at the China goal; albeit they rarely tested their No 1, Yan Junling. Full-back Yasser Al Shahrani was the greatest culprit, misjudging completely Al Faraj’s raked pass to nod way off target.

To be fair, China did not appear to carry much of a threat although, not long into the second half, they did have the ball in the Saudi net. Zhang Yuning’s celebrations were cut short, however, despite beating goalkeeper Mohammed Al Owais at the second attempt. The forward was correctly judged to have strayed offside.

At the other end, Saudi should really have doubled their advantage on 57 minutes, only for centre-back Ahmed Sharahili to somehow side-foot wide when six yards out. Indeed, it was a defender’s finish.

Then, Salem Al Dawsari almost scored a typically swashbuckling effort, but Junling flung himself across his goal to palm the shot on to the post superbly.

Yet Saudi were made to pay for their profligacy. With nine minutes remaining, Abdulelah Al Amri was deemed to have handled inside his area, leaving Zu Chenjie to place home the resultant penalty confidently.

Saudi could have snatched the win right at the death, but instead had to settle for a point. On to Australia on Tuesday, though, and what is sure to be a celebratory night in Jeddah regardless of the result.