After the hosts (South Africa), Japan, Australia and South Korea became the first teams to reach the 2010 World Cup Finals in South Africa.

With two rounds still to play in the Asian Qualifying Zone, Australia and Japan have secured the top two spots in Group A; where Bahrain, with a game in hand, could be in the third-place playoffs.

In Group B, North Korea or Saudi Arabia look most likely to join South Korea in automatic qualification, although Iran are still in with a mathmatical chance; if they win their last two games (against UAE and South Korea) while North Korea draw with Saudi Arabia, and Saudi Arabia lose to South Korea.