MX23RW : Tuesday, March 19 02:23:48| >> :120:34151:34151:
[monks data]
Attendance: 32,572
Japan national football team
World Cup | Group Stage
Jun 24, 2018 at 4pm UK
 
Senegal national football team

2-2

Inui (34'), Honda (78')
FT(HT: 1-1)
Mane (11'), Wague (71')

Japan, Senegal play out entertaining draw at World Cup

Japan, Senegal play out entertaining draw
© Reuters
Japan and Senegal both boost their chances of progression from Group H with a 2-2 draw from Sunday's World Cup clash in Yekaterinburg.

Japan have twice come from behind to record a 2-2 draw with Senegal in Sunday's World Cup clash in Yekaterinburg.

Sadio Mane and Moussa Wague had given Senegal hope of a second successive victory in Russia but efforts from Takashi Inui and Keisuke Honda earned Japan a deserved share of the spoils.

Both teams now sit on four points in Group H but still have work to do if they wish to secure a spot in the knockout stages of the competition.

Senegal began the match on the front foot with Mane failing to provide a clinical touch by the penalty spot as early as the second minute, but it did not take long for the Liverpool attacker to open the scoring.

A cross from the right was only half-cleared into the path of Youssouf Sabaly and after the full-back's shot was parried by Eiji Kawashima, the ball rebounded off Mane - who was no more than four yards out - and into the bottom corner.

Japan were struggling to cope with Senegal's superior strength, but the African side were also impressing in the final third and Alfred N'Diaye could have done better with a volley after meeting Wague's cross.

As the game went through the half-hour mark, Japan had offered little in the final third but an equaliser was found 11 minutes before the break as Inui benefitted from smart build-up play from Yuto Nagatomo before curling the ball into the far corner from 16 yards.

Japan started to play with confidence but Senegal should have regained their advantage just before the break after M'Baye Niang was played through on goal. However, rather than lob Kawashima - who was out of his goal - the Torino striker tried to volley to his right and the goalkeeper made the save.

After the restart, both teams wasted little time in going on the offensive with Yuya Osako sending a header too close to N'Diaye from around eight yards before Niang volleyed over from distance at the other end.

On the hour mark, Japan should have taken the lead when the ball was delivered into the six-yard box where Osako was waiting, but the FC Koln striker missed his kick at the near post.

Soon afterwards, a neat move led to Japan striking the woodwork through Inui, who curled the ball onto the top of the crossbar from just inside of the area, but just as Japan were setting the pace, Senegal went back in front.

Sabaly's low cross from the left was flicked on by Niang and Wague was waiting at the back post to lash the ball into the roof of the net for his first international goal.

Japan opted to introduce Honda and shortly after his introduction, the national team legend scored his 37th goal for his country - and became the first Japanese player to net at three World Cups - when he was perfectly placed to tap home Inui's cutback after Senegal had made a mess of a cross delivered from the right.

Both teams continued to look for a fifth goal of an entertaining contest - one which could have potentially secured qualification for the last 16 by the end of the night - but Akira Nishino and Aliou Cisse had to be content with their sides retaining their respective unbeaten records.

JAPAN (4-5-1): Kawashima; H Sakai, Yoshida, Shoji, Nagatomo; Shibasaki, Hasebe, Haraguchi (Okazaki 75'), Kagawa (Honda 72'), Inui (Usami 87'); Osako

SENEGAL (4-3-3) K N'Diaye; Sabaly, Sane, Koulibaly, Wague; Gueye, A N'Diaye (Kouyate 65'), B Ndiaye (Ndoye 81'); Sarr, Mane, Niang (Diouf 86')

ID:329093: cacheID:329093:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:5846:No Data Analysis info
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Japan manager Akira Nishino on May 30, 2018
Read Next:
Akira Nishino: 'Too early to celebrate'
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS

Group A

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Netherlands Netherlands32107
Q Senegal flag Senegal32016
3 Ecuador flag Ecuador31114
4 Qatar Qatar30030

Group B

TeamPWDLPTS
Q England flag England32107
Q United States USA31205
3 Iran Iran31023
4 Wales flag Wales30121

Group C

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Argentina Argentina32016
Q Poland Poland31114
3 Mexico Mexico31114
4 Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia31023

Group D

TeamPWDLPTS
Q France France32016
Q Australia Australia32016
3 Tunisia Tunisia31114
4 Denmark Denmark30121

Group E

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Japan Japan32016
Q Spain Spain31114
3 Germany Germany31114
4 Costa Rica flag Costa Rica31023

Group F

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Morocco Morocco32107
Q Croatia Croatia31205
3 Belgium Belgium31114
4 Canada Canada30030

Group G

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Brazil Brazil32016
Q Switzerland Switzerland32016
3 Cameroon flag Cameroon31114
4 Serbia Serbia30121

Group H

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Portugal Portugal32016
Q Republic of Korea South Korea31114
3 Uruguay flag Uruguay31114
4 Ghana flag Ghana31023

Subscribe to our newsletter


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!