There's the full-time whistle and it's a win for Japan. Their first in a World Cup on foreign soil. For Cameroon, a massive disappoinment.
Final score: 1 - 0
90' +3
A great save by Kawashima on a flick by Emana, but the whistle had gone for a foul.
90' +2
Assou-Ekotto swings in a free kick, but Kawashima snatches it.
Foul by Japan
90' +1
Yuki Abe with a booking for holding back a Cameroon player.
90'
Y. Abe gets yellow.
Waiting on the word on stoppage time. And the indiciation is four minutes.
88'
J. Inamoto enters the game and replaces M. Hasebe.
Junichi Inamoto will come on as the final sub for Japan, replacing the captain Hasebe.
87'
So nearly a howler for Hamidou. Honda flings in a shot, and it skips right through his hands. He recovers, but shades of Green and Chaouchi in that one.
Shot on goal by Japan
86'
Shot on goal by Cameroon
M'Bia hits the post! So close for the Cameroonians, but the woodwork denies what would have been a cracking equalizer. A rebound shot comes back in, but Kawashima smothers. Tense moments in Bloemfontein.
85'
Desperation setting in Cameroon and it is shown in their passes.
82'
K. Yano enters the game and replaces Y. Ōkubo.
Shot on goal by Japan
Offside for Japan
Hasebe blasts it from the top of the area only to see it saved by Hamidou. The rebound comes to Okazaki, but he was in an indirect offside position and became active.
Minute
Description
81'
Foul by Cameroon
80'
Free kick taken by Gérémi is punched away nicely by Kawashima. Eto'o sends it back in, but the ball is heavy and out for a goal kick.
79'
Foul by Japan
78'
Foul by Cameroon
Foul by Cameroon
77'
Foul by Japan
75'
M. Idrissou enters the game and replaces E. Choupo-Moting.
G. N'Djitap enters the game and replaces J. Makoun.
Another sub coming for Cameroon. Two in fact. Gérémi replaces Makoun while Mohamadou Idrissou replaces Choupo-Moting.
72'
N. Nkoulou gets yellow.
After all the fouls, we finally have a booking as Nicolas N'Koulou hauls down Okazaki charging up the left.
70'
Foul by Cameroon
69'
S. Okazaki enters the game and replaces D. Matsui.
Japan make their first sub as the influential Matsui will be replaced by striker Shinji Okazaki.
68'
Foul by Cameroon
67'
This game is surely approaching a World Cup-high for fouls, yet there have been no bookings.
Corner kick for Cameroon
66'
Foul by Cameroon
64'
Foul by Cameroon
Foul by Cameroon
63'
A. Emaná enters the game and replaces J. Matip.
Achille Emana will come on for Cameroon as the first sub, replacing Joel Matip. The Cameroonians will be looking for a bit more forward aggression with this swap.
62'
Free kick for Cameroon in the center of the pitch about 35 yards away, but it's headed behind by Yuji Nakazawa.
Corner kick for Cameroon
61'
Foul by Cameroon
Foul by Japan
60'
Foul by Japan
59'
A bit of frustration as Assou-Ekotto can't seem to get past Okubo, and he takes out his frustration with a foul at the center.
57'
Shot wide of goal by Cameroon
56'
Foul by Cameroon
55'
Matsui with a cross from the right attempting to pick out Honda in the center, but the ball sails out for a Cameroon throw.
54'
Header on goal goes wide by Cameroon
53'
Japan seem a bit more comfortable defending now that they have the lead. They'll force Cameroon to break them down.
52'
Foul by Japan
51'
Foul by Cameroon
49'
Shot wide of goal by Cameroon
Great run by Eto'o into the right side of the area. He lays it off for Choupo-Moting, but he sends the ball just wide of the far post.
48'
Foul by Cameroon
47'
An early corner for Cameroon in the second half. Jean Makoun swings it in, but a foul ends play.
Foul by Cameroon
46'
The second half is under way 1 - 0
Corner kick for Cameroon
45' +3
Halftime score: 1 - 0
45' +2
Foul by Japan
Foul by Cameroon
45' +1
We are now into the first of two added minutes in the first half.
45'
Header on goal goes wide by Cameroon
Foul by Cameroon
44'
Foul by Japan
43'
Offside for Japan
42'
After a drab opening half, the game has come to life thanks to the goal by Japan, and you had a feeling it was going to come up that right side. Sure enough, Matsui's quality ball found its target on the other end.
39'
K. Honda has scored a goal for Japan! Assist by D. Matsui.
Goal Japan! Just like that we have the opener. Matsui with a cross from the right to the backpost, and no one seemed interested in marking Honda. The CSKA Moscow man took it cool as you like and slotted home. 1-0 to Japan.
38'
Finally a shot on target as Eyong Enoh shoots low at Kawashima after being played through by Choupo-Moting.
Shot on goal by Cameroon
37'
Foul by Cameroon
35'
Foul by Cameroon
34'
A tantalizing cross from the left by Yoshito Okubo, but there is no one on the other end in the area. A bit better from Japan.
33'
Foul by Japan
32'
The Japanese keeper situation is an interesting one. Seigo Narazaki (age 34) and Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi (age 34) have a combined 192 caps. They are on the bench in favor of 27-year-old Kawashima with his comparatively meager 10 appearances.
31'
A long free kick is spilled by Kawashima, but cleared. The keeper then crashed to the ground after his leap, and he remains down.
30'
M'Bia is down on the pitch for the second time, and it's after another collision with his friend Endo.
Foul by Japan
29'
First fouls, and now the offside flag. No one can time their runs properly and it's making for a prolonged choppiness to the game.
27'
Offside for Cameroon
26'
Offside for Japan
25'
Foul by Cameroon
Foul by Cameroon
24'
Japan look to be concentrating their efforts up the right side, but the defending of Assou-Ekotto and Sébastien Bassong - a pair of Spurs boys - have cleared all the danger.
22'
The cross by Matsui looks to cause danger, even though the flag is up. Play continues, however, and Hamidou needs a small bit of treatment after taking a knock.
21'
Offside for Japan
20'
Twenty minutes in and there's no sign yet of the deadlock being broken. Each side has had an equal amount of the ball, however.
17'
Interesting to look at the stats thus far and only see fouls. No corners, no cards and no shots - much less any on target. It's been the slowest of slow starts thus far. Matsui flings in a cross from the right, but it's straight into the arms of Hamidou.
16'
Foul by Japan
14'
Daisuke Matsui's throw is into the area for Keisuke Honda, but Hamidou is alert to the danger and covers the ball.
11'
A free kick won on the left touchline by Cameroon about 30 yards out. Benoit Assou-Ekoto swings it into the area and Eiiji Kawashima is nowhere near clearing it. Fortunately, there is a foul to bring play to an end.
Foul by Cameroon
10'
Foul by Japan
8'
Pierre Webó crosses to the center for Eric Choupo-Moting, but the latter can't control and the chance goes awry.
7'
In the buildup to the tournament, Japan struggled to score goals and Cameroon struggled to stop them. One wonders what will give in this game. Japan have never allowed a goal to Cameroon, though this is the first time the sides have met outside Japan.
6'
A bit of a broken start to the match as some early fouls have made for a choppy game.
5'
Foul by Cameroon
4'
Foul by Japan
3'
Stéphane M'Bia is down on the ground after being clipped by Yasuhito Endo, but the Marseille man looks fine.
Foul by Cameroon
2'
Today's referee is Olegário Benquerença of Portugal - his first-ever World Cup match in charge..
Foul by Cameroon
1'
The match is under way -
After the Dutch grabbed the first points of Group E play earlier today, Japan and Cameroon take to the pitch at Bloemfontein's Free State Stadium for another clash in the group. For Japan, defender Yasuyuki Konno has failed in his bid to be fit at the start. Makoto Hasebe, however, has recovered from a back problem to captain the Asians. As expected Cameroon manager Paul Le Guen has benched number one goalkeeper Carlos Kameni in place of Souleymanou Hamidou. The rest of the Cameroon squad is as expected with Pierre Webo and Benoit Assou-Ekotto going from the start. Cameroon will be seeking their first ever win against Japan, who have two wins and a draw in their three all-time meetings.
Commentary
More…