JEF United Chiba manager Ivica Osim paid tribute to his players after Saturday's 5-4 penalty shootout win over Gamba Osaka in the Nabisco Cup final but sought to play down the significance of winning the Japanese league cup.

With Osim unable to bear watching all of the shootout, Japan striker Seiichiro Maki, who had a goal ruled out in the dying embers of normal time, converted the decisive penalty to give JEF its first trophy since the launch of the J. League in 1993.

"All the players I asked to take the penalties took responsibility," said Osim who suffered the disappointment of losing on penalties to Argentina in the 1990 World Cup quarterfinals when he was head coach of Yugoslavia.