AFC Asian Cup: Aymen Hussein double helps Iraq stun four-time winner Japan

Football has a fickle memory. It thrives in the present and often, changes for a better future.

That was what Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu had suggested in the pre-match press conference before its clash against Iraq in the AFC Asian Cup 2023, at the Education City Stadium on Friday.

The last time Japan played Iraq in Qatar, a 2-2 draw at the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium in 1993 had broken dreams of playing its maiden FIFA World Cup. “Most of the players in the current squad were not even born when the match was played,” Moriyasu had said, “that game is past now.”

But ghastly memories of that three-decade-old match came back to haunt the Samurai Blue as Iraq rode on raucous fan support and clinical attacking to beat Japan 2-1 in its second group-stage game.

Both goals came off Aymen Hussein’s head, who was subbed off at half-time in what looked like a problem in his right hamstring.

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This was the first win since 1982 for the Central Asian side against the four-time Asian champion when it had beaten Japan 1-0 at the Asian Games.

Iraq created overloads in Japan’s half right from kick-off, mirroring Japan’s start against Vietnam in its first game. In that match, Moriyasu’s side had opened the scoring within 11 minutes.

Iraq, under Jesus Garcia, drew first blood even quicker.

In the fifth minute, Ahmed Yahya Al-Hajjaj’s through ball was received by Ali Jasim Elaibi on the left flank, who put his foot on the gas to maraud along the left flank and deliver a cross.

Though Zion Suzuki, Japan’s goalkeeper, pushed the ball out, it fell for Aymen Hussein, who headed the ball in causing an eruption of joy in the stadium.

The 38,663 fans at the stadium, most of whom were Iraqi, made the air crackle with Viking claps, regional songs and chants of “Iraq!” and made sure a trailing Japan remained on the backfoot with whistles and boos every time it had the ball.

In the 1993 game, Iraq’s equaliser, by Jaffar Omran, had come in second-half injury time. In 2024, the final nail in the coffin arrived in the first-half equivalent, in the fourth minute.

Al-Hajjaj beat Yukinari Sugawara on the left and crossed for Hussein, who played the perfect poacher to run behind Hiro Ito and stick his head to the ball. Though Suzuki got a touch on the ball, the header’s force saw it roll into the net.

Japan tried to shift gears, bringing on attacking-minded players such as Ayase Ueda, Ritsu Doan, Reo Hahate and Daizen Maeda. Eventually, it pulled one back through a Hatate corner, which was headed in by captain Wataru Endo into the net, four minutes into second-half injury time.

But the attempted comeback arrived too late as Iraq secured a well-fought victory, climbing to the top of its group with maximum points from two games and qualifying for the knockouts. It will end its group stage against Vietnam, five days later.

Japan, on the other hand, will now have to wait for the other Group D game as well as its final match, against Indonesia on January 24, to know its fate in this edition of the competition.