China joined Asian heavyweights Australia and Japan in the next round of World Cup qualifying after stunning Qatar 2-0 in their last Group C match in Xi’an yesterday.
China were helped in their cause by the Philippines’ 3-2 upset of North Korea in Manila. North Korea appeared to be heading for victory and into the next round when they led 2-1, but conceded two goals in the final six minutes to crash out of contention.
China have only qualified for the World Cup once, in 2002, but President Xi Jinping is spearheading a drive to turn the giant Asian country into a footballing power.
Their chances of reaching Russia 2018 took an upturn in the 57th minute, when midfielder Huang buried a shot from outside the penalty box into the corner after a goalmouth scramble.
This was followed by a close-range strike in the 88th minute by Wu, who had come close twice before.
Qatar, who will host the 2022 World Cup, were lacklustre and showed little threat despite their perfect record in their other qualifying games.
China brought greater organisation and energy, boosted by a raucous home crowd in the ancient capital of Xi’an.
“My luck was good, it was a team effort,” Huang told state broadcaster CCTV, before adding: “Chinese football is gradually improving.”
Qualification for the next phase was a major turn-around for China, who sacked French coach Alain Perrin after a disappointing 0-0 draw with Hong Kong in November left their campaign hanging by a thread.
Earlier, veteran striker Tim Cahill scored twice as Australia eased past Harry Redknapp’s Jordan 5-1, while Borussia Dortmund’s Shinji Kagawa also netted a double in Japan’s 5-0 win over Syria.
In Sydney, Cahill, now 36 and playing for China’s Hangzhou Greentown, struck twice in the first half against Jordan to stretch his record Australian tally to 47 goals in 89 games.
Australia’s other scorers were home-based midfielder Aaron Mooy, Glasgow Celtic’s Tom Rogic and QPR youngster Massimo Luongo, while Bayer Leverkusen’s Robbie Kruse added three assists.
Redknapp, in only his second game with Jordan after being hired to steer them into the next phase, said Asian Cup-holders Australia were a “different class”.
“They had a bit too much quality and they looked a lot fitter than us, they were sharper... there was a big gulf in class tonight,” he told reporters.
Meanwhile, war-torn Syria made it through as one of the best second-placed teams despite the late flurry of goals which consigned them to a 5-0 defeat in Saitama.
A freak own goal from Hamdi al-Masri after 17 minutes put Japan in front, before Kagawa’s double alongside late strikes from Keisuke Honda and Genki Haraguchi gave the scoreline gloss.
Japan ended the second round of qualifiers with 27 goals scored and none conceded from their eight games, but Honda warned the Blue Samurai would face tougher challenges ahead.
“It was a goal to go through qualifying with no goals against so that was satisfying,” AC Milan’s Honda told Japan’s NHK Television.
“But there are still some things we need to work on. We got caught on the counter several times and stronger opponents will make us pay so we need to be wary of that.”
South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Uzbekistan, the UAE, Iraq and Thailand are also through to the next phase.  
The UAE held Saudi Arabia 1-1 in Group A to finish thanks to a 52nd minute equaliser from Omar Abdulrahman after Taisir al-Jassim had put the visitors ahead in Abu Dhabi. The draw helped the Emiratis join the Saudis, who topped the group, in the next round.
Iran, who played the World Cup in Brazil, topped beat Oman 2-0 in Tehran thanks to a Sardar Azmoun brace, while Uzbekistan advanced from Group H after Sardor Rashidov gave them a 1-0 win over Bahrain.
Iraq qualified after beating Vietnam 1-0 in Group F, with Mohannad Abdulraheem netting in first-half injury time.