YU DABAO scored on both sides of the half Tuesday night as China beat the Maldives 3-0 to clinch the crucial three points at their Asian World Cup qualifying competition in Shenyang, Northeast China’s LiaoningProvince.

    Zhang Linpeng also scored, helping China back onto the winning track after a frustrating 0-0 draw with the Hong Kong team five days ago.

    The victory lifted China to second place in Group C, where Qatar led the group with three successive wins after outscoring Hong Kong 3-2 on the same day.

    However, the following away match in Qatar next month will be the real test for China as only the eight group winners and four best second-placed teams can advance to the next round in Asian zone qualifiers.

    To top the group is the safest way leading to Russia 2018, the top goal of Frenchman Alain Perrin, China’s head coach.

    Meanwhile, war-torn Syria’s national soccer team won its third consecutive World Cup qualifying match Tuesday, routing Cambodia 6-0 in Phnom Penh, while the game between Malaysia and visiting Saudi Arabia was suspended three minutes from the end after fans hurled flares onto the field.

    Syria striker Omar Khribin scored two of the four first-half goals to help his team take the lead in Group E with nine points. Syria has so far scored 13 goals without conceding.

    Japan, which previously defeated Cambodia 3-0 and drew against Singapore in the same group, recorded a 6-0 win over Afghanistan.

    In Selangor, angry Malaysian fans threw flares and fireworks onto the field in the 87th minute at Shah Alam Stadium with Saudi Arabia leading 2-1.

    The Group A match was suspended as the players left the field and the Asian Football Confederation said it would rule “soon” on an outcome for the game.

    In another Group A match, Palestine held the United Arab Emirates to a 0-0 draw in a match watched by 10,000 fans on the outskirts of Jerusalem.

    (SD-Xinhua)