Cuiaba: Asian Football Confederation (AFC) teams are heading for their first World Cup blank in 24 years, with Japan, South Korea, Australia and Iran all failing to muster a single victory in Brazil so far.
In the latest setback, South Korea went down 4-2 to Algeria in Porto Alegre on Sunday (Monday in India) after drawing their Group H opener against Russia – leaving them with slim hopes of making the last-16.
Japan have also disappointed, losing 2-1 to Ivory Coast in their first match in Group C and then failing to find the net against 10-man Greece in a 0-0 stalemate.
Australia lost 3-1 to Costa Rica in their opener in Group B but can at least take heart from their spirited performance against 2010 finalists the Netherlands in a match they briefly led before losing 3-2.
The results for the teams from the AFC spell bitter disappointment after notable progress at recent World Cups.
At the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan, the Koreans stunned the football world by reaching the semifinals while Japan made the round of 16. (AP)
