Saudi Arabia and Indonesia call for immediate end to Gaza catastrophe Private sector companies sign pacts worth $27 billion during visit of President Prabowo    Prince Faisal and Marco Rubio discuss over phone regional situation    Saudi Arabia and Indonesia agree to bolster bilateral ties Crown Prince and President Subianto chair first meeting of Saudi-Indonesian Supreme Coordination Council    Number of Sakani platform users exceeds 4.6 million by first half of 2025    International visitors spend nearly SR50 billion in Saudi Arabia during 1Q 2025    Saudi Arabia condemns calls for imposing Israeli sovereignty over occupied West Bank    Lacazette joins NEOM SC as Saudi Pro League newcomers boost attack with French star    Al Hilal sign Abderrazak Hamdallah on loan for Club World Cup push    Trump says Israel has agreed on terms for 60-day ceasefire in Gaza    New evidence suggests Russian forces shot down Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243    Iran's president halts cooperation with UN nuclear watchdog, reports say    Commerce Ministry recalls over 88,000 Anker portable chargers over fire risk    Elm, One sign MoU to enhance strategic partnership and support local content in communications and marketing sector    BTS are back: K-pop band confirm new album and tour    Saudi FM receives message from Iranian counterpart    Inzaghi hails 'historic' Al Hilal win over Man City: We climbed a mountain with no oxygen    Michelin Guide launches in Saudi Arabia with phased rollout in 2025    Al Hilal stun Manchester City in seven-goal thriller to reach Club World Cup quarterfinals    'How fragile we are': Roskilde Festival tragedy remembered 25 years on    Historic Jeddah's visual identity re-imagined through global art installations at Al-Arbaeen Lagoon    Sholay: Bollywood epic roars back to big screen after 50 years with new ending    Ministry launches online booking for slaughterhouses on eve of Eid Al-Adha    Shah Rukh Khan makes Met Gala debut in Sabyasachi    Pakistani star's Bollywood return excites fans and riles far right    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Japan aims to extend unbeaten run, reserve Brazil ticket
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 14 - 11 - 2012

SINGAPORE — Asian champion Japan can move within touching distance of the 2014 World Cup by extending its unbeaten record against Oman Wednesday, while Iran can leapfrog South Korea in Group A.
The Blue Samurai are odds-on to reach their fifth consecutive World Cup after picking up 10 points from their first four games in Group B to move five points clear at the halfway mark.
While they cannot confirm their ticket to Brazil this week, a victory at Muscat's Sultan Qaboos Sport Complex would open up an eight-point lead and allow Alberto Zaccheroni's side to start making plans for the summer of 2014.
Despite the absence of injured Manchester United midfielder Shinji Kagawa, who scored the late winner against former World Cup-winner France in Paris last month, Japan enters the match as strong favorites.
Japan has never lost in seven World Cup qualifiers against Oman, and beat it 3-0 in Saitama in June. In Muscat, it won 1-0 during its successful campaigns in 1998 and 2006, and drew 1-1 in the 2010 qualifiers.
However, Zaccheroni has left little to chance by naming a strong squad for the match with 13 European-based players including the talismanic Keisuke Honda, who has four goals in Japan's four games thus far.
Kagawa will miss the match with a knee injury but Zaccheroni, whose side also lost 4-0 to Brazil last month, is confident that it can cope with the absence of the attacking midfielder.
Zaccheroni said Tuesday that sweltering conditions will be his side's biggest challenge Wednesday.
Oman goalkeeper Ali Al-Habsi, however, has told Japan to stop complaining about the heat ahead of the qualifier.
“It's not like June here when it's 50 degrees celsius,” the Wigan Athletic goalkeeper said. “It's only 30, which is good for us and the Japan players.
“In the summer in Japan it is like that so they are used to it. It's no big difference.”
Wednesday's other Group B game is at the Grand Hamad Stadium in Doha, Qatar, where both Iraq and Jordan will look to get their qualification campaigns back on track after disappointing defeats last month.
The Jordanians lost 2-1 in Oman, while former Asian Cup-winner Iraq, coached by Brazilian legend Zico, allowed Australia to score twice in the final 10 minutes as it lost by the same score to the Socceroos.
In Group A, Iran will look to move ahead of South Korea into top spot with a win against Uzbekistan at the Azadi Stadium.
Carlos Queiroz's side enjoyed a morale-boosting 1-0 win against the Koreans at the same venue last month, despite playing with 10 men for much of the second half following the dismissal of Soleimani Shojaei.
Javad Nekounam's 76th winner was only the second goal scored by the Iranians in four matches in Group A, following Mohammad Reza Khalatbari's break-away stoppage-time effort to beat Uzbekistan 1-0 in June.
Uzbekistan will be keen to avenge that loss, and the central Asian side buoyed its hopes of a first-ever World Cup appearance when it beat Qatar 1-0 in Doha last month. A win in Tehran would also put it top of the tight Group A.
There will also be plenty at stake when the group's bottom two sides, Qatar and Lebanon, meet at Doha's Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium, with both capable of putting themselves back in the frame for Brazil. — Agencies


Clic here to read the story from its source.