Son Heung-min scored a beauty from outside the box as Juergen Klinsmann’s South Korea thumped Singapore 5-0 on Thursday to launch their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign in style.

The victory will go a small way towards winning over South Korean fans yet to be convinced about Klinsmann, but there are tougher assignments ahead, starting with China away on Tuesday.

“A huge compliment to the team, a very professional performance,” the German legend, South Korean coach since February, said.

“Five-nil is a nice scoreline to read but it doesn’t really show you the energy and effort you have to invest in order to get to that score line,” Klinsmann added.

Australia kicked off their qualifying with a 7-0 demolition of Bangladesh as Graham Arnold celebrated a record 59th ‘A’ international as Socceroos coach.

Jamie Maclaren came off the bench to score a second-half hat-trick and Mitchell Duke scored a brace late in the first half as world No. 27 Australia trampled all over the 183rd-ranked south Asians at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium.

“We still need to be a bit more ruthless in front of goal,” Arnold told reporters. “It could have been double-figures easily, and it should have been.”

Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu demanded even more from his team after they thrashed Myanmar 5-0.

Feyenoord striker Ayase Ueda scored a hat-trick as the hosts shrugged off the absence of injured Brighton winger Kaoru Mitoma in Osaka.

Daichi Kamada and Ritsu Doan also got on the scoresheet as Japan took their goal tally to 29 in their last seven games.

With inputs from Reuters