Underdog Triumph: Iraq's Stunning Win Over Japan Rewrites History

In a surprising turn of events, Iraq caused a major upset by defeating Asian Cup favorites Japan and securing a spot in the knockout stages. Aymen Hussein’s first-half brace, including a header that took advantage of a mistake by Japan’s goalkeeper Zion Suzuki, gave Iraq an early lead. The Lions of Mesopotamia extended their advantage just before halftime with another header, this time from Ahmed Al-Hajjaj’s cross. Despite a late goal from Japan’s Wataru Endo, it was the first time in 42 years that Japan, ranked 17th globally, lost to Iraq, ranked 63rd. 

Japan, coming off a 4-2 victory over Vietnam, now faces the challenge of needing a positive result against Indonesia in their final group stage match to advance to the knockout stages. On the other hand, Iraq who defeated Indonesia in their previous game has the luxury of potentially resting players against Vietnam. The top two teams in each group automatically qualify, with the four best third-placed teams also progressing to the last 16. Hosts Qatar and Australia have already secured their spots in the knockout stages.