SYDNEY, March 21 (Xinhua) -- Home team Australia on Thursday notched up a 2-0 clean sheet over Lebanon in their first leg of the FIFA World Cup 2026 second-round qualifiers before more than 27,000 spectators at Sydney's Commbank Stadium.

Keanu Baccus and Kye Rowles each scored their maiden international goals, securing Australia's grip on the top spot of Group I after three straight wins.

In the fifth minute, 25-year-old midfielder Baccus ran the ball to the right edge before firing it from outside the box, a long-range effort catching the Lebanon goalkeeper Mostafa Matar off guard.

Early injuries from midfielder Riley McGree and winger Jordan Bos forced two substation decisions out of Australian coach Graham Arnold, while the steadfast defense helped Lebanon head into halftime at a 1-0 deficit.

In the 54th, a corner found Rowles who subsequently struck a left-footed volley, with it cruising past a sea of defenders and landing into the back of the net.

The goal seemed like a fluke to Rowles as the ball dropped to his feet almost in the blink of an eye, giving him scarce time to react.

"I didn't mean to slice it. I meant to smash it. But it went where I wanted to go, I guess, at the goal. So I'm just happy that it went in," the 25-year-old defender told reporters.

The match at Commbank Stadium is the third fixture in Australia's qualification pathway for the expanded 48-team World Cup in 2026. On March 26, Canberra will host the second showdown between the Socceroos and their Lebanese opponents. Enditem

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