Japan coach Akira Nishino said he was “forced” to tell his players to down tools towards the end of their World Cup match against Poland, to secure last-16 qualification.
With 10 minutes to go Japan were losing 1-0, but with Colombia leading Senegal by the same scoreline in the other simultaneous group H tie it meant Japan would qualify on fair play with Colombia.
Despite boos ringing out, the Japanese and Polish players slowed to walking pace for the last 10 minutes.
Japan’s manager told his players to adopt a more cautious approach for the last 10 minutes of their defeat against Poland, despite boos from their own fans. Photo: Kyodo
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“It was a very tough decision,” he explained.
“There was a ‘what if?’ on our pitch, and a ‘what if?’ on the other pitch.
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“I chose to keep the status quo in our game, and rely instead on the other result.
“My players were very loyal in listening to me and following my decision. It was tough, as my style is attack minded.
