The Samurai Blue secured their spot in the next round of qualifying for the 2022 World Cup on Friday, with Werder Bremen striker Yuya Osako scoring four goals in a decisive 10-0 win over outmatched Myanmar in Chiba.
The result against FIFA’s 139th-ranked side ensured Japan of a first-place finish in Group F — which also includes Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Mongolia — with two games to spare.
“We’ve reached the next round thanks to the players working hard in each match to get results and improve themselves,” Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu said. “Even after the result was more or less decided we stayed aggressive and kept going for another goal.