DOHA: Japan beat Indonesia 3-1 in their final Asian Cup Group ‘D’ game on Wednesday to qualify for the last-16 and a possible date with South Korea while already-qualified Iraq went top with maximum points when they sealed a 3-2 win over Vietnam with a 102nd-minute winner.

Japan’s Ayase Ueda scored twice for Hajime Moriyasu’s pre-tournament favourites, who finished second with six points, while 2007 champions Iraq’s Aymen Hussein went top of the tournament’s scoring charts with his fourth and fifth goals.

“After losing to Iraq we looked back to see what we need to improve and fix. My players were focused and able to perform at 100%,” Moriyasu told reporters. “I asked my players to be more aggressive from the start. The early penalty allowed us to control the game for 90 minutes.”

Moriyasu made eight changes to his starting line-up, bringing in an entirely new defence. He kept faith in goalkeeper Zion Suzuki, who was at fault against Iraq and was racially abused online after the game.

But there was still no place for Brighton winger Kaoru Mitoma, who was left out of the match-day squad for a third straight game as he struggles for full fitness.

Japan took a 1-0 lead when they won a penalty in the second minute after Ueda was hauled down in the box by Jordi Amat, with the spot kick awarded after a VAR check.

The Feyenoord striker stepped up to take it himself and after composing himself he fired home into the top corner in front of the Indonesian fans behind the goal.

“I had to score and the pressure was on me after the result from the last game. I get nervous but I also enjoy taking them,” he said.

They nearly made it 2-0 just after the half-hour mark when Keito Nakamura’s first-time effort came off the inside off the post and rolled dangerously close to the goal line before it was cleared.

But Japan eventually doubled their lead when Ritsu Doan put in a pass across the six-yard box that beat every defender and found Ueda unmarked at the far post for an easy tap-in.

The goal put a spring in Japan’s step and they continued to push Indonesia back, with the south-east Asian team unable to prevent a third when Ueda forced an own goal in the 88th minute after Justin Hubner attempted to block his shot.

Indonesia scored a consolation goal in stoppage time when Japan failed to clear a long throw-in and the ball fell to Sandy Walsh at the far post where he finished smartly for his first international goal.

“We conceded in the last minutes from a long throw. We need to focus on keeping a clean sheet in the next game,” added Moriyasu, whose side have conceded in all three group games.”

Japan will now face the winners of Group ‘E’ — South Korea’s group. Jurgen Klinsmann’s South Korea are currently second on goal difference behind Jordan and face Malaysia in their final group match on Thursday.

Iran are lurking as possible quarter-final opponents for Japan and Moriyasu said they were primed for the best the rest could throw at them.

“Iran and South Korea are top-level teams in Asia and both very strong. They both have their own style that is different from ours and we respect them,” he said. “It is a step-up in quality as we move into the race for the title.”

With only three points, Indonesia will now have to wait until Thursday to see if they can qualify as one of four best third-placed teams. “Anything can happen, I can’t say anything about what could happen tomorrow. We’ll rest and wait for the results of the next games,” Indonesia coach Shin Tae-yong said.

In the other Group ‘D’ game, Hussein scored twice, including the decider at the death from the penalty spot.

Vietnam led three minutes before the break when Bui Hoang Viet Anh poked home off a Khuat Van Khang free-kick. That would be Khuat’s last major attacking involvement — he was sent off in first-half stoppage time for a second yellow card.

Iraq equalised two minutes after the restart when Rebin Sulaka headed home from a corner before Hussein, on as a substitute, scored with a header of his own in the 73rd minute.

Hussein missed a penalty and it looked like he would be made to regret it when Nguyen Quang Hai got behind the Iraqi back line to score on the stroke of the 90th minute to make it 2-2.

But Vietnam gave away another penalty deep in added time and on this occasion Hussein did not miss.

“He was brave to take the second penalty,” said Iraq coach Jesus Casas.

Published in Dawn, January 25th, 2024