AFC U17 Asian Cup
The four-time winners will next look to make it two wins in a row when they take on two-time champions China PR on Saturday while Qatar will meet Indonesia on the same day.
Both sides were equally matched in the opening 15 minutes, with Qatar’s Ayokunle Tokode ballooning his shot over in his side’s first stab at goal and Maki Kitahara doing the same at the other end moments later.
Japan gradually gained the upper hand, and their forays forward saw Kakeru Saito and Kitahara both missing the target in the 21st and 24th minutes respectively.
Japan gradually gained the upper hand, and their forays forward saw Kakeru Saito and Kitahara both missing the target in the 21st and 24th minutes respectively.
The West Asian side, however, turned the game to their advantage in the 25th minute when Tokode picked up an inch-perfect pass from Dhiaeddine Larbi and coolly side-footed the ball past a diving Kosei Oshita into the bottom left corner for the opening goal.
An unfazed Japan continued to apply pressure, with the livewire Kitahara seeing his attempt blocked, his half volley cleared off the line and then missing to the left - all in the 35th minute.
An unfazed Japan continued to apply pressure, with the livewire Kitahara seeing his attempt blocked, his half volley cleared off the line and then missing to the left - all in the 35th minute.
Qatar keeper Bakri Mohamed then denied Saito’s long-range effort in the 42nd minute and got down to punch clear Arata Okamoto’s deflected attempt from the edge of the area two minutes into first-half added time.
Group B: Japan v Qatar
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Japan found their equaliser six minutes into the second half when Saito, off a set-piece and assisted by Anthony Motosuna, headed home from close range past an out-of-position Bakri.
The East Asian side’s pressing paid off again in the 70th minute when Kitahara’s looping header from the centre of the box went beyond a rooted Bakri and found the top right corner as Japan turned the game around.
The East Asian side’s pressing paid off again in the 70th minute when Kitahara’s looping header from the centre of the box went beyond a rooted Bakri and found the top right corner as Japan turned the game around.
Kitahara netted his second in the 76th minute when, following a fast break, he picked up a pass from Sora Iwatsuchi, came down the left unchallenged and unleashed a brilliant left-footed strike past Bakri to confirm the points for his side.
