Japan triumph to reach World Cup

JAPAN saluted its national football side yesterday after they stormed into next year’s World Cup with a comprehensive 2-0 win over fierce rivals Australia.

Local media paid tribute to Japan’s “generation next” after goals from Takuma Asano and Yosuke Ideguchi on Thursday secured a sixth successive finals appearance.

“Changing of the guard,” raved the Nikkan Sports daily.

“Japan break jinx,” led the Sankei newspaper, referring to Japan breaking a hoodoo by qualifying despite losing their opening game for the first time.

The excitement of the previous night’s celebrations even trickled through to normally impassive Japanese government officials.

“They began from a difficult position but they shattered that jinx beautifully,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a regular briefing at the prime minister’s office.

Japan became the fourth side to qualify for Russia.

But the sheen was taken off Japan’s joy by concerns over the future of Japan coach Vahid Halilhodzic.

Reports suggested the Franco-Bosnian faced the sack if his team had lost to Australia but after the game he revealed he had considered leaving Japan for “personal reasons”.

The Japan Football Association (JFA) clarified that it was a family matter but insisted Halilhodzic would travel to Saudi Arabia for Japan’s final group B game on Tuesday.

Halilhodzic has come under fire since Japan began the final round of Asian qualifiers with a 2-1 home loss to the United Arab Emirates. — AFP