YOKOHAMA (Japan), Aug 17: Asian champions Japan avenged the only loss of their World Cup qualifying campaign with a 2-1 victory over Iran on Wednesday to finish top of Group B.

Ryo Kaji scored his first international goal and Masashi Oguro rounded off the win for Japan in a match important only for bragging rights with both teams already qualified for Germany 2006.

Japan leap-frogged Iran to finish Asian final qualifying Group B on 15 points after six games, two ahead of Iran. Third-placed Bahrain, who were playing pointless North Korea, will play off against the team finishing third in Group A.

Taji’s goal came from a Keiji Tamada cross which beat both Oguro and ‘keeper Ebrahim Mirzapour, leaving an empty net. Oguro made it 2-0 in the 76th minute before Ali Daei pulled one back with a penalty three minutes later.

The victory was revenge for Japan’s 2-1 reverse in Tehran in March, their only loss of the qualifying campaign.

The Japanese took control from the beginning, repeatedly threatening the Iranian goal.

Oguro and Tamada failed to cash in on some goalmouth confusion in the 12th minute, and Tamada and Brazilian-born Alessandro “Alex” Santos both tested Mirzapour with shots soon afterwards.

Scoring chances were few and far between for the visitors although skipper Daei, the world’s top international goalscorer, hit the right post from outside the area just before half-time.

Oguro was credited with heading Japan’s second but there was a suspicion his effort was blocked on the line by defender Hossein Kaebi before being turned in by Mirzapour.—AFP