Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Liege: Shoya Nakajima came to Japan's rescue as they earned a 1-1 draw against Mali in an international friendly at the Stade Maurice Dufrasne in Belgium on Friday.
Both teams canceled each other out for most of the first half, but Mali broke the deadlock a minute before the break.
Abdoulay Diaby converted from the penalty spot, firing to the top left corner to give The Eagles a halftime advantage.
Mali, ranked 67th in the world, continued to frustrate Japan in the second half with coach Vahid Halilhodzic making numerous changes to his lineup to counter their African opponents.
Their persistence paid off, however, as substitute Nakajima equalised from close range deep in stoppage time for a 1-1 draw.
Japan's next test will be against Ukraine on March 27.