AFC U20 Asian Cup
The 2016 champions closed their campaign with a maximum nine points, netting 16 goals and conceding none while in the later match, Kuwait breezed past Cambodia 5-0 to chalk up their first three points and finish in second ahead of Yemen and the Southeast Asian side on goal difference.
Japan 4-0 Yemen
Japan went on the offensive from the start and found their first goal 10 minutes in through captain Homare Tokuda, who - after striking the left post moments earlier with his half-volley - squeezed past the Yemen defence and headed home off a corner,
Japan went on the offensive from the start and found their first goal 10 minutes in through captain Homare Tokuda, who - after striking the left post moments earlier with his half-volley - squeezed past the Yemen defence and headed home off a corner,
Tokuda came close to a second in the 19th minute but his first touch to Tokumo Kawai’s free-kick proved too unwieldy, with his effort sailing over the bar.
Japan were relentless and their persistence paid off in the 27th minute when Hiroto Asada, again off a corner, snuck in from behind and planted his header between keeper Wadhah Ahmed and the left post.
Tokuda bagged his second three minutes later after he latched on to a pass from Shota Fuji, outpaced the defence on the left and slammed the ball past a hapless Ahmed into the top right corner.
Yemen’s attempts to get back into the game in the second half were firmly checked by the Japan defence as Hesham Al Husaini, Ameer Al Brwany and Asem Al Mezgagi failed to trouble custodian Ethan Scally.
Futa Tokumura, Hiroto Ogawa, Tokuda - who missed a sitter in the 70th minute - and Sunao Kidera, who smashed his shot against the right post, all took turns at the Yemen goal.
Tokumura, however, made up for his earlier miss when he secured Japan’s fourth goal in the 87th minute, the midfielder expertly curling in his shot from the edge of the box beyond Ahmed’s reach to earn his side their 19th consecutive Finals appearance.
Qualifiers - Group G: Japan v Yemen; Cambodia v Kuwait
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Cambodia 0-5 Kuwait
The hosts gained possession from the start but it was Kuwait who found the back of the net first when Yousef Allanqawi picked up a loose ball inside the area in the 12th minute and lashed past an rooted Samnang Sambath.
Omar Al Azemi extended their lead in the 26th minute when he pounced on the ball in a crowded goalmouth and spun around smartly to volley past the diving Cambodia keeper.
Cambodia could have reduced the deficit in the 32nd minute but an unmarked Sok Kryya Ly ballooned the ball over from the left with only custodian Rakan Al Saeid in his way.
Kuwait went three up five minutes before the break after Abdullah Al Qarzaei’s pass from the right somehow eluded Cambodia captain Vreak Phan and Samnang, with Mesfer Al Adwani having an easy job of turning the ball into an empty goal.
Cambodia fell further behind in the 55th minute when Al Qarzaei converted a penalty after David Long’s handball before Al Adwani closed the win nine minutes later when he rolled the ball in from the edge of the six-yard box.
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