19 Jan 2004(Mon)

Make no mistake. Japan cannot afford to play below their best in the Asian Cup in China this summer.

The draw for the 16-nation finals was made on January 15, and Zico's men will play Oman, Thailand and Iran in Group D, based in Chongqing.

The top two from each of the four four-team groups will advance to the quarterfinals.

Japan will open against Oman on July 20, then take on Thailand four days later and Iran on July 28.

By then, of course, Japan will already have played Oman in a 2006 World Cup qualifying match at Saitama on February 18. Japan should be too strong for Oman, who are impressive in the age-group competitions but lack experience at the highest level.

The Thais are quick and skilfull, and can give any Asian team a hard game on their day. At the 2002 Asian Games in Korea, Japan's Olympic team rose to the occasion and thrashed Thailand on their way to the final, where they lost to Iran.

Japan-Iran, of course, will always bring back memories of when the two teams met in an Asian playoff for a place at the 1998 World Cup in France.

The match took place at a neutral venue, Johor Bahru in Malaysia in November 1997, and Japan won 3-2 in sudden-death extra time with a late goal from Masayuki Okano.

For me that remains the most important goal in the history of Japanese football.

If Iran had won that playoff, and Japan had then lost to the Aussies in the inter-continental playoff, just where would Japanese football be now?

It is impossible to say, as the fallout from World Cup failure would have made a big impact on the hosting of the 2002 World Cup, and on the interest in the J.League.

Thanks to Ya-jin's golden goal, all that is history now.

But it does not mean Japan can afford to relax in this group in July.

Of course the Japanese players have the skill and the experience to finish in the top two, but their status as an Asian super power means they are there to be shot at by the minnows.

Japan can qualify from this group, but no one should expect any easy games any more.

ends