Japan beat a lacklustre Cameroon 1-0 in Bloemfontein on Monday through a Keisuke Honda goal to notch their first ever World Cup victory on foreign soil.
The Blue Samurai, struggling for goals in the run-up to the tournament, took the lead in the 39th minute and held on for the remainder of the match despite increasing pressure from the African side in the second half.
Neither side looked capable of breaking the deadlock in a scrappy first half in which clear chances were in short supply until Daisuke Matsui manoeuvred the ball onto his left foot and delivered an inswinging cross from the right.
The ball somehow eluded several Cameroon defenders and the unmarked Honda stabbed it past the despairing dive of Hamidou Souleymanou.
Cameroon continued to press for an equaliser but could not find a way past the dogged Japanese defence. With just five minutes remaining Stephane Mbia let fly with a thunderbolt from 25 yards that rattled the Japan crossbar but they could not find a way past Japan goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima. — AFP