Former national team manager Philippe Troussier has warned Japan not to sit back and play for the single point it needs to secure a place at a fifth straight World Cup in next Tuesday's qualifier against Australia.

Japan takes on the Socceroos at Saitama Stadium knowing that a draw will be enough to wrap up a berth at next year's tournament in Brazil, with a final qualifying fixture away to Iraq on June 11 providing a safety net should Alberto Zaccheroni's side fail to get the job done next week.

But Troussier, who led Japan to the last 16 of the 2002 World Cup on home soil during his four-year spell in charge, believes it would be a mistake to head into the match with a defensive mind set, instead urging his former team to seize the initiative and lock up qualification with a flourish.