China get past Bahrain 1-0 in World Cup AFC qualifier for second win

China defeated Bahrain 1-0 in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Qualifying Tournament in Manama, Bahrain, on Thursday, securing their second win in Group C.

The match marked China's eighth meeting with Bahrain, after finishing the previous seven with three initial wins, followed by four straight draws.

Zhang Yuning had an opportunity to give China an early lead after bursting into the area in the 11th minute, but his shot from close range was denied by Bahrain goalkeeper Ebrahim Lutfalla. The visitors suffered a significant injury eight minutes later, when Li Lei had to be replaced by Hu Hetao.

China set up more chances to score in the second half, but Lutfalla rejected most of those attempts, including a header from Zhang in the 54th minute.

Ali Haram appeared to score for Bahrain in the 87th minute, but the effort was ruled out following a video assistant referee (VAR) review.

In the first minute of stoppage time, Zhang had another opportunity to find the back of the net, when Wang Haijian picked him out in front of the goal with a cross from the left. Zhang converted the chance and gave China a 1-0 lead. The visitors made that advantage stand up until the referee blew the final whistle.

The victory added three more points for China, who have risen to fourth place in the group, level on six points with both second-placed Australia and third-placed Saudi Arabia, after those two sides battled to a 0-0 draw in Melbourne. China will host Group C leaders Japan on November 19.

The top two teams from the group will secure automatic qualification for the 2026 World Cup in Canada, the USA, and Mexico, while the two sides finishing third and fourth will continue their bids to advance in an additional stage.