Majer: Japan have ‘heart and courage’

CROATIA midfielder Lovro Majer hailed World Cup surprise package Japan for having “heart and courage” ahead of their last 16 confrontation today.

Majer said he did not expect Japan to finish top of the group but that they deserved it.

“I have to be honest, I didn’t expect that, no one expected them, in the world of football,” Majer told a press conference.

“But kudos to them, they showed that in football they don’t just play with names, but with heart and courage. They deserved this.

“We expect a tough game, it’s the knock-out phase. We expect a very tough game with a lot of running and fighting, we feel that we are ready and we are looking forward to the game.”