Shinji Okazaki struck in the nick of time as Group B winner Japan wrapped up its World Cup qualifying campaign with a 1-0 victory over Iraq on Tuesday.

Japan, which qualified for Brazil last week with a 1-1 home draw to Australia, finished the final qualifiers with 17 points from the eight games with a goal difference of 11.

Iraq was eliminated from qualifying with the defeat, as Japan exacted revenge for a last-gasp draw to the Gulf nation 20 years ago that denied it its first ticket to the World Cup finals.