Perth: Australia wrapped up their Preliminary Joint Qualification – Round 2 for the FIFA World Cup 2026 and AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 campaign with maximum points by posting an impressive 5-0 win against visitors Palestine in their final Group I outing at the Perth Rectangular Stadium yesterday. Kusini Yengi converted a penalty in the fifth minute to score for the third consecutive qualifier tie before Adam Taggart netted in his hometown to double their lead. Portsmouth striker Yengi then netted his second of the evening to put the game beyond Palestine even before the half-time interval.
Graham Arnold’s men added a fourth early in the second period as Martin Boyle turned scorer before Nestory Irankunda bagged an 86th-minute penalty for his maiden international goal as the Socceroos closed out their second round campaign without conceding a single goal..
