Iraq made history by stunning four-time champions Japan 2-1 in an AFC Asian Cup group stage fixture at the Education City Stadium in Doha. Aymen Hussain’s brace propelled Iraq towards the knockout stage and broke a 42-year jinx against the Blue Samurai. Iraq’s last victory against Japan came at the 1982 Asian Games.
In the fifth minute, Hussein scored the opener with a header, taking advantage of Japan goalkeeper Zion Suzuki’s failure to clear Ali Jasim Elaibi’s cross. Despite Japan’s dominance in possession and numerous attempts, they couldn’t breach Iraq’s fortress.
Hussein extended Iraq’s lead to 2-0 in the same fashion, heading in Ahmed Al-Jajjaj’s cross from the left flank. Japan made a half-time substitution, bringing in Takehiro Tomiyasu for Shogo Taniguchi.
In the 56th minute, Takuma Asano drew a foul in the penalty area, but the referee reversed the decision to award a penalty after a VAR check. Japan had a free-kick opportunity in the 67th minute, but Ritsu Doan’s left-footed strike went just above the crossbar.
Mohanad Ali came close in the 68th minute, with his right-footed shot narrowly missing the mark for a potential 3-0 lead for Iraq. The second half saw Japan dominating but failing to score against Iraq’s solid five-man defence.
Liverpool star Endo Wataru narrowed the deficit in the 93rd minute, guiding former Liverpool player Minamino’s corner into the net. Despite Japan’s attempts to equalise, Doan failed to find the target on two occasions.
Qatar has been a happy hunting ground for Japan since 2011, when they won the Asian Cup here and also defeated European giants Spain and Germany in the 2022 FIFA World Cup. However, they fell short in front of a valiant Iraq, who were backed by a raucous crowd.
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