Gamble pays off for Japan

– Akira Nishino (above) might be forgiven for pinching himself today if Japan get the draw they need against eliminated Poland to reach the last-16 of the World Cup.

Just over two months ago he wasn’t even in charge of the Blue Samurai and their most famous player Keisuke Honda was far from certain of going to Russia.

Now Nishino’s side need only a point in Volgograd to make it to the knockout stages, thanks to a late equaliser from Honda against Senegal. That followed the first World Cup win by an Asian country against a South American side when Japan beat Colombia 2-1.

Even defeat may be enough if Senegal beat Colombia, however Japan have their fate in their own hands just months after their World Cup hopes seemed in disarray. The Japan Football Association took a massive gamble to sack Bosnian coach Vahid Halilhodzic in April following a string of poor performances and reports of friction with senior players.

But it has paid off and doubters have been silenced by a tightly organised team playing with pace, guile and no little skill to remain undefeated at the top of Group H.

Former AC Milan and CSKA Moscow striker Honda may not have been at the World Cup had Halilhodzic still been in charge, so poisonous had their relationship become.

But the livewire has been born again as an impact substitute under Nishino and Honda, who now plays for Pachuca in Mexico, is the first Japanese player to score in three World Cups.

Past meetings between Japan and Poland give little clue as the outcome at the Volgograd Arena. They have played just two friendlies with Japan winning both times, the last in 2002. –

Volgograd