Australia are the only ASEAN team to get an automatic ticket for the AFC U23 Championship 2016 after winning all their matches in Group F of the qualifiers.
Andrew Hoole scored a hat-trick as Australia downed ASEAN neighbours Myanmar 5-1 last night to complete their nine points haul from three matches played.
Hoole, who represented Australia at the 2013 AFC U22 Championship, the pre-cursor to the U-23 tournament, recorded his first three international goals (in the 10th, 57th and 70th minute).
Jamie MacLaren, who bagged three goals in Australia’s 6-0 thrashing of Hong Kong in the opener, registered a brace (13th and 68th) against the Myanmarese.
Kaung Sat Naing, a 71st minute replacement for Si Thu Aung, scored the consolation goal for U Kyi Lwin-led Myanmar on 78 minutes.
Only the ten group winners and five best second-placed teams from all groups will join hosts Qatar at the AFC U-23 Championship 2016.
The final group winner and the complete line up of best second-placed finishers will only be confirmed after the conclusion of Group B of the qualifiers, which features Jordan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan as well as hosts Pakistan.
Group B was scheduled to take place in Lahore at Lahore’s Punjab Stadium from 23-31 March has been postponed due to security concerns following the recent troubles in the Youhanabad area of the city.
GROUP A
Lebanon 0-0 Bahrain
Iraq 2-2 Oman (Iraq qualify as group winners)
GROUP C
Palestine 4-0 Nepal
Saudi Arabia 2-1 Iran (Saudi Arabia qualify as group winners)
GROUP D
UAE 1-0 Yemen (UAE qualify as group winners)
Tajikistan 5-1 Sri Lanka
GROUP E
Syria 2-1 Uzbekistan (Syria qualify as group winners)
India 0-0 Bangladesh
GROUP F
Australia 5-1 Myanmar (Australia qualify as group winners)
Chinese Taipei 3-1 Hong Kong
GROUP G
Cambodia 3-1 Philippines
DPR Korea 0-0 Thailand (DPR Korea qualify as group winners)
GROUP H
Korea Republic 4-0 Indonesia (Korea Republic qualify as group winners)
Timor-Leste 3-0 Brunei
GROUP I
Vietnam 7-0 Macau
Japan 1-0 Malaysia (Japan qualify as group winners)
GROUP J
Singapore 2-2 Mongolia
China 3-0 Laos (China qualify as group winners)
