PARIS: Japan have followed early-day winners Spain into the quarter-finals of the Olympic Games men’s football tournament – and hosts France are almost there.
However the Samurai Blue cut it fine. Rihito Yamamoto scored an 82nd-minute winner to deliver a 1-0 Group D win over against Mali whose Cheickna Doumbia fired a last-minute penalty kick wide.
Japan, after thrashing 10-man Paraguay 5-0 in their opener on Wednesday, knew they would face a tougher test in Bordeaux against a Mali team who had beaten them 3-1 in a friendly in Kyoto in March.
Both teams created and wasted chances before substitute Kein Sato had a shot saved Lassine Diarraonlt for Yamamoto to pounce on the rebound.
In stoppage time Mali were awarded a penalty that could have salvaged a draw when Moussa Diakite’s shot from outside the box hit the arm of Sota Kawasaki but Doumbia wasted the opportunity.
Paraguay, in the other group game, beat Israel 4-2 with two late goals.
Hosts win again
Hosts France made it two wins out of two with a late Group A victory over Guinea courtesy of a headed goal from Kiliann Sildillia with 15 minutes remaining.
Guinea had the better of the first half. Naby Keita and Abdoulaye Toure had ‘goals’ disallowed and Ilaix Moriba had a header cleared off the line by Castello Lukeba.
Thierry Henry’s France improved after the break and stepped up the pressure. Substitute Arnaud Kalimuendo hit a post before Sildillia converted a cross from Michael Olise.
United States recovered from their opening defeat by France to keep their hopes of progress alive with a 4-1 win over New Zealand.
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