With their place in the quarter-finals already secure, Oiwa made six changes from the team that picked up a 1-0 win over Mali on Friday with fullbacks Kaito Suzuki and Takashi Uchino starting for the first time.

Kokubo made a pair of early saves, twice denying Liel Abada’s efforts to claim the opener. The St Truiden man used his feet to keep out the Israeli’s effort seven minutes into the game before dropping to his right to smother a second attempt four minutes later.

Moments later the Japanese had a sniff of an opportunity when Rihito Yamamoto – wearing the armband after regular captain Joel Fujita started on the bench – slipped his pass into Shota Fujio’s path, but the striker’s first touch let him down.

Israel needed three points to have any hope of advancing with Japan to the quarter-finals, and Guy Luzon’s side threatened in the 18th minute when they raced up the pitch after a Japanese corner, only for Ido Shahar to shoot harmlessly across the face of goal.

Japan’s attempts on target were limited, with Sota Kawasaki shooting high over the bar and Seiji Kimura sending a looping header towards goal in first half injury time that Israel goalkeeper Omer Niron had little trouble plucking out of the air.

Five minutes after the restart Kokubo denied the Israelis again, diving to his right to push away Oscar Gloukh’s shot from outside the penalty area while at the other end substitute Shunsuke Mito was frustrated by Niron.

Kokubo continued to be an impenetrable barrier for the Israelis, twice saving from Ethane Azoulay in quick succession as the game moved into the final 10 minutes, while Adi Yona slammed his attempt from close range over the target.

With the game in injury time, Hosoya, introduced from the bench 12 minutes earlier, thumped a right-foot strike past Niron to earn Japan a third successive win and boost hopes of a first Olympic medal since 1968.