Football

South Korea and Iran can secure their places at the Asian Cup finals when qualifying resumes Wednesday, but underachieving China has a fight on its hands.

Seven slots are still up for grabs and while Korea and Iran should take two of them, a struggling China, the beaten finalist in 2004, still has its work cut out.

The Chinese, long tipped as a sleeping giant but which has yet to take its place among the continental elite, must beat Palestine to keep their hopes alive. If they do and Iraq beats Singapore then they will be through.

But if they don't, it will go to the

wire in the final round of qualifying on November 15.

They go into the game -- played in Jordan -- handicapped by a two-match suspension handed to playmaker Shao Jiayi who was sent off in China's 0-0 draw with Singapore last month. It means he misses their final two qualifiers.

Captain Li Weifeng will also miss the Palestine clash after picking up his second yellow card of the qualifying campaign against the Singaporeans.

Currently, China are level on seven points in Group E with Iraq. Palestine and Singapore both have four points with two matches to play.

So far, Australia, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and United Arab Emirates are through to the showpiece event next year, to be jointly hosted by Thailand, Indonesia,

Vietnam and Malaysia. The cohosts qualify automatically.

South Korea only needs a draw to seal their place when they take on Syria at home, but they go into the match on the back of 3-1 home defeat to the Michael Essien-led Ghana on Sunday, which has given coach Pim Verbeek food for thought.

Verbeek has dropped regular goalkeeper Lee Woon-jae, as well as World Cup striker Ahn Jung-hwan, who is without a club after being released by German side MSV Duisberg, and former AFC young player of the year Park Chu-young.

Iran travel to Taipei to play Taiwan, who are pointless after four matches. A victory for Amir Qalehnoie's team will see them into the finals next July.

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Oman too will qualify if they beat the UnitedArab Emirates in Group C.

Group F though remains wide open with Uzbekistan and Hong Kong both in the hunt for the second qualification spot behind Qatar.

Hong Kong have the toughest task, travelling to Doha to play the Qataris while the Uzbeks will face minnows Bangladesh.

Japan might have qualified but will want to bounce back quickly and methodically in Bangalore against India after they lost 1-0 at home to Ghana last week.

It was the second loss against three wins for Ivica Osim's charges who are rebuilding after a dismal World Cup campaign where they failed to get beyond the group stages.

They will be without their Europe-based stars who are club-tied.

Australia, who were the first team into the finals, also face a rebuilding task after a clutch of their aging stars retired after the Socceroos 1-1 draw with Paraguay on Saturday.

Goalkeeper Zeljko Kalac, midfielder Stan Lazaridis and defenders Tony Vidmar and Tony Popovic have all decided to hang up their boots.

Australia take on Bahrain in Sydney with the tiny Gulf state needing to win to maintain a slim hope of making the finals.

Captain Mark Viduka, whose wife has just had a baby, and the injured Harry Kewell, will not be playing.

Elsewhere, Saudi Arabia play Yemen in Jeddah with AFC Player of the Year Hamad Al Montashari recalled to their side, while Pakistan take on Jordan.