• Japan stunned Germany in their Group E curtain-raiser

• Hero Takuma Asano, who plays for Bochum, rifled in deciding goal

• Player shrugged off erratic club form and recent injury worries in style

Japan stunned fans across the globe by pulling off a huge upset in their FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ opener, beating four-time champions Germany 2-1. But few would have predicted that striker Takuma Asano would score the winning goal and become the hero of the hour. Germany dominated Japan in the first half, with the Asian team not just treading water but in danger of drowning. Ilkay Gundogan's penalty got them off the mark, and they would have doubled their lead in first-half added time but for a VAR decision. As the teams went off at the interval, with Germany seemingly rampant, the Samurai Blues looked all but down and out. Come the second half, however, Japan tore up the script and rediscovered their warrior spirit. Thanks to a memorable fightback and inspired substitutions, the tide finally turned. Substitute Ritsu Doan equalised in the 75th minute, sending the Japan fans wild, and just eight minutes later, Asano, also a substitute, smashed an angled shot past Manuel Neuer to give his side their first comeback victory in seven World Cup editions.

Ironically, the two-goal salvo that turned Japan into giant-killers featured players who ply their trade in the German Bundesliga. It was a case of biting the hand that feeds you for Daichi Kamada, Wataru Endo and Koh Itakura, all of whom play in Germany, and especially so for Doan, who got the equaliser. However, the winning goal from Asano is what really blindsided German fans and officials. Asano, now at Bochum, also had previous spells with Stuttgart and Hannover. But his past five seasons spent playing in Germany – plus two years in Serbia with Partizan – have been unremarkable at best. In fact, he has only scored four goals in 61 Bundesliga appearances. And despite playing the first six league games of the season for Bochum, he recorded no goals or assists, while the team endured their worst-ever start to the season with six consecutive defeats. During Matchday 6, against Schalke on 10 September, he was injured soon after starting and did not return until the league was interrupted by the World Cup.

So back in Japan, home fans were critical of coach Kazu Moriyasu when he called up Asano for Qatar, despite the sub-par Bundesliga performances and extended absence through injury. Some thought goal-scoring Celtic striker Kyogo Furuhashi or Yuya Osako of Vissel Kobe, who scored at previous edition in Russia, were more deserving of a squad place. A blistering run or two and pressing a high forward line may have been expected of Asano, but smashing the winner certainly was not. But he proved the doubters wrong in style. Sprinting onto a long ball, he controlled it perfectly, then lashed a close range angled drive into the tiny gap between Neuer and his near post. Though Arsene Wenger bought him to Arsenal in 2016, a debut for the Gunners never happened. Thwarted by the lack of a work permit, he became a forgotten man. At Partizan, meanwhile, despite getting back among the goals, he clashed with the club and left under a cloud. By any standards, a volatile career, but Asano’s performance on this day is one that Japanese football and the World Cup itself will never forget.