Iraq secured their spot in the knockout stages of the 2023 AFC Asian Cup with a 2-1 victory over Japan in the second round of Group E matches at Education City Stadium on Friday, thanks to two first-half goals from Ayman Hussein.
Hussein’s headers, scored within the opening five minutes, propelled Jesus Casas’ team to success in a first half dominated by an energetic Iraqi side, reminiscent of their historic 2007 AFC Asian Cup-winning team. Iraq’s triumph saw the Mesopotamian Lions end Japan’s 11-match winning run in all competitions, which saw the Samurai Blue claim the scalps of Germany, Turkey, and Canada.
Casas’ squad laid the groundwork for their triumph early in the game, unsettling Japan with their midfield prowess. The breakthrough came in the fourth minute when Ali Jasim seized on Takumi Minamino’s misplaced pass and, after Zion Suzuki’s unconvincing save from Jasim’s long-range effort, Hussein headed the ball into the top corner.
Despite Hiroki Ito and Wataru Endo’s attempts for Japan, the Samurai Blue struggled to find their rhythm. Iraq capitalized on their advantage, with Ahmed Yahya delivering a cross that Hussein headed in for his second goal in the six-yard box, outmuscling Shogo Taniguchi.
Japan attempted a second-half comeback, shifting Junya Ito to the left to unlock the defense. Rebin Ghareeb thwarted Takuma Asano’s goal-scoring opportunity, surviving a VAR penalty review by referee Khaled Al Turais. However, Iraq continued to threaten, with Ko Itakura heading over the bar, Ritsu Doan’s free-kick too high, and Mohannad Ali narrowly missing a third goal.
Although Japan captain Endo scored with a header three minutes into injury time, Iraq’s victory was secured.
Friday’s other matches saw Indonesia edging past Vietnam 1-0 at the Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium in Doha, while Palestine and the United Arab Emirates played out a 1-1 stalemate at the Al-Janoub Stadium in Al-Wakrah. Last but not least, Iran squeaked past a resilient Hong Kong side 1-0 at the Khalifa International Stadium.