Leicester City’s Shinji Okazaki yesterday celebrated scoring his 50th international goal as Japan brushed aside Thailand 4-0 to edge closer to a sixth successive FIFA World Cup finals.
Shinji Kagawa gave the hosts the lead in their Asian Group B qualifier with a sharp finish after eight minutes, before Okazaki thundered home a diving header to bring up his half-century in swashbuckling style.
Okazaki’s landmark strike, on his 108th Japan appearance, came on 19 minutes in Saitama, Japan, and effectively killed the contest.
Photo: AFP
Yuya Kubo and Maya Yoshida added further goals for the Blue Samurai after the break, while Eiji Kawashima saved a late penalty from Kraison Adisak to deny Thailand a consolation.
Japan provisionally took top spot with 16 points from seven games, but Saudi Arabia could go above them on goal-difference with sizeable victory over Iraq in Jeddah later yesterday.
Australia were three points behind with three matches left after a 2-0 victory over the United Arab Emirates (UAE), whose coach Mahdi Ali announced his resignation after the match.
Goals from Jackson Irvine and Mathew Leckie handed Australia the crucial victory.
“Everyone stressed the importance to us before the game, and it was just about keeping calm and composed, and taking our opportunities when they came,” Australia skipper Mile Jedinak said. “We squandered a few chances and might have got the second goal a little bit earlier, but in the end the boys delivered tonight and that’s all we can ask.”
While Australia lived to fight on, there were tears in the UAE camp with their qualification hopes now looking remote.
“I think after five years, I have done my best, we have many achievements,” Ali told reporters. “I thank the staff, the team, but I think it is time for me to leave.”
In Group A, Iran maintained their four-point lead at the top of the table by defeating China 1-0 in Tehran with a goals by Mehdi Taremi in the 46th minute.
In Seoul, Hong Jeong-ho struck in the fourth minute as second-placed South Korea edged Syria 1-0 to move to 13 points, four ahead of Uzbekistan, who were due to take on Qatar later yesterday.
Additional reporting by staff writer
Four-time NBA all-star DeMarcus Cousins arrived in Taiwan with his family early yesterday to finish his renewed contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards in the T1 League. Cousins initially played a four-game contract with the Leopards in January. On March 18, the Taoyuan-based team announced that Cousins had renewed his contract. “Hi what’s up Leopard fans, I’m back. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to join the team,” Cousins said in a video posted on the Leopard’s Facebook page. “Most of all, can’t wait to see you guys, the fans, next weekend. So make sure you come out and support the Beer
Revelations of positive doping tests for nearly two dozen Chinese swimmers that went unpunished sparked an intense flurry of accusations and legal threats between the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the head of the US drug-fighting organization, who has long been one of WADA’s fiercest critics. WADA on Saturday said it was turning to legal counsel to address a statement released by US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) CEO Travis Tygart, who said WADA and anti-doping authorities in China swept positive tests “under the carpet by failing to fairly and evenly follow the global rules that apply to everyone else in the world.” The
Taiwanese judoka Yang Yung-wei on Saturday won silver in the men’s under-60kg category at the Asian Judo Championships in Hong Kong. Nicknamed the “judo heartthrob” in Taiwan, the Olympic silver-medalist missed out on his first Asian Championships gold when he lost to Japanese judoka Taiki Nakamura in the finals. Yang defeated three opponents on Saturday to reach the final after receiving a bye through the round of 32. He first topped Laotian Soukphaxay Sithisane in the round of 16 with two seoi nage (over-the-shoulder throws), then ousted Indian Vijay Kumar Yadav in the quarter-finals with his signature ude hishigi sankaku gatame (triangular armlock). He
Rafael Nadal on Wednesday said the upcoming French Open would be the moment to “give everything and die” on the court after his comeback from injury in Barcelona was curtailed by Alex de Minaur. The 22-time Grand Slam title winner, back playing this week after three months on the sidelines, battled well, but eventually crumbled 7-5, 6-1 against the world No. 11 from Australia in the second round. Nadal, 37, who missed virtually all of last season, is hoping to compete at the French Open next month where he is the record 14-time champion. The Spaniard said the clash with De Minaur was