Saudis warm up for India tie with 1-0 win against Japan

New Delhi, Sep 4 (UNI) Saleh Bashir's second half strike powered hosts Saudi Arabia to a 1-0 win against Japan ahead of their Group A AFC Asian Cup qualifier against India.

The Asian powerhouses fought a grim battle yesterday at the Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium in Jeddah venue for the match against India, and it was a sweet revenge for the hosts who had lost to the Japanese in the 2000 final in Lebanon.

Bashir showed his poaching instincts when the Al Ittifaq forward netted the crucial goal in the 73rd minute after a deflected ball reached him in the Japanese box and and he drilled it past Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi and steer his side to the all-important victory.

Japan paid the price for missing a sitter when Tatsuya Tanaka almost found the net with a curling 30-footer, only to be thwarted by the sharp reflexes of a full-stretched Mohammad Khojah, according to information received here today.

With this victory, Saudi Arabia maintained their clean slate and they are now three points ahead of Japan and six ahead of third-place Yemen.

The Baichung Bhutia-led Indian team is yet to open its account after playing three matches and the side, under coach Bob Houghton, left for Jeddah yesterday.

India was beaten 3-0 in their home match in Kolkata by the Saudis.

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