Japanese striker Shinji Okazaki. (Photo : Getty Images)
Group E leaders Japan (5-0-1, 16 points) will try to keep their undefeated record against tough team Afghanistan (2-4-0, 6 points) as the two teams clash against each other at the Saitama Stadium 2002 in Saitama, Japan on Thursday, March 24th for an AFC 2018 World Cup qualifying tournament matchup.
This was the second meeting of the two teams in the Group E qualifiers with the Samurai Blue demolishing Afghanistan, 6-0, in their first match at the Azadi Stadium in Tehran, Iran on Sep. 8th of last year.
Japan defeated winless squad Cambodia, 2-0, on the road at the Olympic Stadium in Phnom Penh during the last matchday on Nov. 17th for their fifth group stage win, as reported Goal.
The first half of the match ended in a scoreless tie as the Japanese were unable to stamp their class on the Angkor Warriors in the first few minutes.
Leicester City striker Shinji Okazaki, who is part of the Foxes' one-two scoring punch in England together with Jamie Vardy, redeemed himself from an embarrassing penalty kick miss two minutes into the second half by executing a fine header at the 51st minute that resulted in an own goal by Cambodian striker Khoun Laboravy for the game's opening goal.
The lead 1-0 lead held on for the rest of the way until Okazaki's teammate, Keisuke Honda of AC Milan, netted another one right at the stroke of full time to double the lead for head coach Vahid Halilhodžić's side.
Meanwhile, Afghanistan also trounced Cambodia, 3-0, in their most recent WC qualifying match on Nov. 12th last year at the Takhti Stadium also in Tehran, Iran, as per Khaama Press.
Home games for the Lions of Khorasan are being held in Iran for security purposes because of the ongoing war in the country.
Midfielder Mustafa Zazai, winger Norlla Amiri, and striker Khaibar Amani scored one goal each at the 42nd, 78th, and 90th+4 minutes to complete the three-goal haul of head coach Petar Segrt's squad.
The predicted result is a lopsided 4-0 win for Japan. The Samurai Blue will repeat their dominating performance during the two squad's first meeting.
Japan starting lineup (4-3-3 formation): Nishikawa; Makino, Yoshida, Nagatomo, Fujiharu; Kagawa, Yamaguchi, Hasebe; Haraguchi, Okazaki, Usami
Afghanistan starting lineup (4-4-2 formation): Azizi; Hadid, Amin, Hashemi, Saighani; Hatifi, Alikhil, Shayesteh, Zazai; Amiri, Amani
