CHIBA: Yuya Osako’s five-goal haul helped Japan thrash Myanmar 10-0 on Friday to cruise into the third round of Asian World Cup qualifying, after protesters had raised anti-junta three-fingered salutes on and off the pitch.

Japan’s victory, their sixth straight in qualifying for next year’s finals, means they cannot be knocked off the top of Group ‘F’ and take one of the 12 places available in the third round of the continent’s qualifying competition.

The game originally been scheduled to be played in March, but was postponed until Friday due to civil unrest in Myanmar.

About 70 protesters gathered outside the Fukuda Denshi Arena holding placards saying “Myanmar’s football team does not represent its citizens”, carrying pictures of detained Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi and waving flags from the country’s 1988 uprising.

Myanmar were missing several regulars who boycotted the qualifiers in protest at the coup.

Goalkeeper Kyaw Zin Htet opted out of the trip and urged the players who travelled to raise the three-finger salute.

The national anthems passed off without incident, but TV cameras captured a Myanmar player wearing a pink bib making the gesture.

Myanmar manager Antoine Hey said he did not see the incident, but was aware of the protest outside the stadium.

“I don’t know the motivation, what the meaning was of this gathering,” he said. “We are concentrated on football, we are concentrated on our job, our team, our players, and we are not taking any political stand.”

On the pitch, Japan made light work of Hey’s side, with Takumi Minamino opening the scoring early before Osako went on a spree that gave the home side a comfortable win.

Minamino’s deft finish from close range in the eighth minute finished off an incisive move by the Japanese that highlighted the gulf in class between the teams.

Osako headed in the second after Yuto Nagatomo’s overlapping run and cross, and the Werder Bremen striker added Japan’s third from the penalty spot after Hiroki Sakai had been upended.

The 31-year-old completed his hat-trick before halftime when he stabbed in Nagatomo’s downward header.

There was no let-up from Japan in the second half as Osako poked home Minamino’s shot four minutes after the restart and Hidemasa Morita added a sixth.

Minamino stroked in his second and Daichi Kamada added Japan’s eighth six minutes from time.

A diving header gave Osako his fifth of the night and another headed effort from Ko Itakura in stoppage-time completed the rout.

Japan have won six games from six, with 37 goals scored and none conceded.

“Whoever you play against, winning well, not conceding any goals and stopping your opponents from doing what they want to isn’t easy, regardless of the difference in quality,” said manager Hajime Moriyasu.

All of the remaining games in Group ‘F’ are being played in Japan. Japan round out their campaign against Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. Myanmar will also face Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan as they look to claim second place in the group.

Published in Dawn, May 29th, 2021