YOKOHAMA -- Akira Kaji scored his first goal for Japan and Masashi Oguro capped a fine forward display with a second-half header to give Japan a 2-1 victory over Iran in their final Group B 2006 World Cup qualifying match at International Stadium Yokohama on Wednesday.
Japan put in an excellent performance in front of the 66,098 fans, scoring in the 28th and 76th minutes, with Ali Daei scoring a consolation penalty for Iran in the 79th. It wasn't enough, though, for a team that along with Japan had already secured a place in next year's finals.
Japan finishes top of the group on 15 points from 6 games, with Iran second on 13.