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Samurai Blue stunned by 'ghost goal'

Asano's shot crosses line but referee fails to spot it

ASIAN ZONE GROUP B

JAPAN 1

(Keisuke Honda 11)

UAE 2

(Ahmed Khalil 20, 54-pen)

Japan were left to rue a refereeing howler as they crashed to a 2-1 home defeat by United Arab Emirates in a woeful start to their World Cup final qualifying round yesterday.

AC Milan's Keisuke Honda nodded the hosts in front in Saitama, but UAE grabbed all the points after Ahmed Khalil's superb free-kick and penalty either side of half-time.

Japan should have finished the game 2-2, but the officials failed to spot that Takuma Asano's shot, clawed away by Khalid Eisa, had crossed the line, as shown by TV replays.


Officials failed to spot that Takuma Asano's shot crossed the line. PHOTO: INTERNET

Qatari referee Abdulrahman Al Jassim waved away Japan's protests as the Samurai Blue crashed once again to UAE, their conquerors in last year's Asian Cup quarter-finals.

Japan made the perfect start when Honda, capitalising on some slack defending, leapt unmarked to head in a free-kick at the far post on 11 minutes.

Shinji Okazaki fired one just wide but the UAE got their chance to draw level when Southampton defender Maya Yoshida brought down Ali Mabkhout just outside the box.

Khalil stepped up and his dipping free-kick went in off the underside of the crossbar via the gloves of goalkeeper Shusaku Nishikawa, who will feel he could have done better.

MISS

Borussia Dortmund's Shinji Kagawa had a golden chance to restore Japan's lead but, with the goalmouth begging, he bundled a rebound from a Honda header wide.

At the other end, Mabkhout almost put the UAE in front but, this time, Nishikawa was equal to his first-time shot from close range.

Japan came out firing at the start of the second half and Ryota Oshima's fierce shot drew a fingertip save from UAE goalkeeper Eisa.

But, when Abdelaziz Sanqour was tripped in the box, Khalil was again the go-to man and he produced an exquisite chipped penalty down the centre as Nishikawa dived to his right.

The goal triggered some frenzied action from Japan and they were desperately unlucky when Okazaki's header cannoned off the bar just before the hour-mark.

Things got worse for the hosts with Asano's goal that wasn't and captain Makoto Hasebe remonstrated with the referee at the final whistle, while UAE players knelt and raised their arms in grateful prayer. - AFP.


"It’s a terrible, terrible result and I don’t know why this has happened."

- Japan coach Vahid Halilhodzic

World Cup