Favourites Cameroon fall to Japan

Japan have produced the shock of the tournament

Cameroon 0-2 Japan

Takayuki Suzuki scored both goals in Japan's victory over Cameroon to notch the fourth major upset of the Confederations Cup.

Olympic Gold medallists Cameroon had come into the tournament hot favourites, fielding a team that included some of its biggest stars.

But the Lions will now pack their bags while Japan will advance to the semi-finals.

Suzuki, playing only his second international and his first start, scored his first just seven minutes into the match.

Defender Koji Nakata set up the first goal, and in the 65th minute, Hiroaki Morishima, who had just replaced AS Roma star Hidetoshi Nakata, sent in a cross to Suzuki to head home his second.

Troussier masterminded Japan's victory

Japan played attacking soccer from the start and Nakata tested Boukar with a free-kick.

Until the 25th minute, Japan's defence had largely neutralised Cameroon and the Lions looked surprisingly sluggish.

When Cameroon finally came alive, goalkeeper Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi was in fine form, as Cameroon peppered the goal in a frenzied five-minute spell.

Mboma also tested Kawaguchi, forcing a point-blank reflex save.

Japan had a chance to increase their lead before the interval when Hidetoshi Nakata and Suzuki almost connected again, but Suzuki's shot lacked venom.

Cameroon made two substitutions in the second half, introducing Joseph Job and Lauren Epalle to add potency to the attack.

But it was Japan who broke a spell of tactical play when Suzuki scored his second goal.

Huge upset

He almost had a hat-trick when he charged at a ball Boukar fumbled and just missed flicking it into the net.

Japan are often plagued by a tendency to waste scoring opportunities.

But not in this match, and the defence performed equally well, providing a resolute barrier from which to build.

In a tournament already studded with upsets, this one may have been the biggest.

Unlike France and Brazil, Cameroon arrived with its biggest heroes: Parma's Mboma, Samuel Etoo of Real Mallorca, Geremi Njitap of Real Madrid.

And the Lions, who took gold at the Sydney 2000 Olympics, have won two straight African championships and are on the verge of qualifying for the 2002 World Cup.

In Saturday's first Group B match, Brazil could only muster a scoreless draw against a resilient Canadian side.

Now Japan take on Brazil on Monday at Ibaraki, while Cameroon play Canada on the same day in Niigata.

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Cameroon: Boukar, Wome, Song, Kalla, Njanka, Geremi, Etoo, Mboma, Alnoudji, Foe, Olembe. Subs: Tchato, Tchoutang, Lauren, Songo'o, Ntieche, Epalle, Tchatchoua, Ndiefi, Billong, Job, Kome, Kameni.

Japan: Kawaguchi, Matsuda, Morioka, Inamoto, Hidetoshi Nakata, Nishizawa, Koji Nakata, Myojin, Toda, Ono, Suzuki. Subs: Uemura, Hattori, Morishima, Miura, Nakayama, Narazaki, Yamashita, Ito, Fujita, Kubo, Hato, Tsuzuki.

Referee: Benito Archundia (Mexico).