Japan Asian Cup final: Asia’s new power confirmed in Beirut (2000)
Japan beat Saudi Arabia 1-0 in the 2000 AFC Asian Cup final at the Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium in Beirut on Sunday 29 October 2000, Shigeyoshi Mochizuki turning in a Shunsuke Nakamura free kick on 29 minutes to give Philippe Troussier’s side a second continental title. That Japan Asian Cup final repeated the 1992 decider, also Japan 1-0 Saudi Arabia, the latest meeting in a long Asian rivalry between the two.
A tight 1-0 undersold the tournament Japan had just had, and the win pointed them towards a home World Cup less than two years away.
Key Facts
- Result: Japan 1-0 Saudi Arabia, 2000 AFC Asian Cup final, Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium, Beirut, Sunday 29 October 2000.
- Only goal: Shigeyoshi Mochizuki on 29 minutes, from a Shunsuke Nakamura free kick.
- Competition: the 12th AFC Asian Cup, hosted by Lebanon between 12 and 29 October 2000, the first time the tournament was staged there.
- Japan’s second Asian Cup title, after 1992; Saudi Arabia went in as the defending champions.
- Attendance: 50,000 at the Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium.
- Referee Ali Bujsaim of the United Arab Emirates; Japan goalkeeper Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi was named man of the match.
- Manager: Philippe Troussier of France, whose Japan side would co-host the 2002 World Cup.
Watch More Football History
The Football Documentary Channel
Two wins over the same opponent in fifteen days
Japan and Saudi Arabia had already met once in Lebanon before they lined up for the trophy. In Group C, Japan beat Saudi Arabia 4-1, ran up an 8-1 win over Uzbekistan and drew 1-1 with Qatar. By the time the two sides reached the final, Japan had already beaten the reigning champions once, then had to face them again with a title on the line.
The knockout run kept the goals coming. Japan beat Iraq 4-1 in the quarter-final, Hiroshi Nanami scoring twice, and then came past China 3-2 in the semi-final, where Akinori Nishizawa scored both of Japan’s late goals after a Fan Zhiyi own goal had put them ahead. Saudi Arabia came through the other half by beating South Korea 2-1, Talal al-Meshal scoring twice. Across the six matches Japan were the top-scoring team of the finals with 21 goals, more than any of the other eleven sides.
The Japan Asian Cup final that repeated 1992
The final itself was the quietest scoreline of Japan’s tournament, and it nearly began badly. Mochizuki fouled Saudi midfielder Talal Al-Meshal in the box in the 10th minute, only for Saudi striker Hamzah Idris to miss the penalty. The man who conceded the spot kick then settled the match: Mochizuki got behind the Saudi back line and volleyed Nakamura’s set piece past the goalkeeper from a few yards, on 29 minutes.
Japan almost doubled the lead when Nakamura hit the crossbar in the 42nd minute, and then defended the rest. Kawaguchi’s saves earned him the man-of-the-match award, and the final finished as the 1992 decider had, Japan 1-0 Saudi Arabia, the victory of eight years earlier repeated and the trophy taken back to East Asia.
| Round | Opponent | Score (Japan first) | Japan scorers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Group C | Saudi Arabia | 4-1 | – |
| Group C | Uzbekistan | 8-1 | – |
| Group C | Qatar | 1-1 | – |
| Quarter-final | Iraq | 4-1 | Nanami 8, 29; Takahara 11; Myojin 62 |
| Semi-final | China | 3-2 | Fan Zhiyi 21 own goal; Nishizawa 53, 61 |
| Final | Saudi Arabia | 1-0 | Mochizuki 29 |
From a Beirut final to a home World Cup
Saudi Arabia had owned the Asian Cup final for a decade. The sides entering in Lebanon were chasing the holders, and it was Japan who dethroned them in Beirut. Saudi Arabia were contesting their fifth successive final, a run Japan ended for the second time in eight years after the 1992 meeting in Hiroshima, where Takuya Takagi’s goal had given Japan their first title.
The result mattered as much for what it pointed towards. Troussier, the French manager Japan had appointed to build for their own World Cup, now had a continental trophy and a spine of players, Kawaguchi in goal, Nakamura and Mochizuki in midfield, who would carry into 2002. Nineteen months later Japan co-hosted the 2002 World Cup, held across South Korea and Japan, and went through to the knockout round. The 2000 title was the point at which a team preparing for a home tournament proved it could win one first.
READ MORE: Managers who built teams in their own image, from the touchline out →
Japan and Saudi Arabia would keep meeting at the top of Asian football, and the 2000 final sits inside a longer run of continental rivalries we cover elsewhere.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About the 2000 Japan Asian Cup Final
Who won the 2000 AFC Asian Cup final between Japan and Saudi Arabia?
Japan won the 2000 AFC Asian Cup final 1-0 against Saudi Arabia. The match was played at the Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium in Beirut on 29 October 2000. It was Japan’s second Asian Cup title, after their first in 1992. Saudi Arabia had gone into the tournament as the defending champions.
Who scored in the 2000 Asian Cup final in Beirut?
Shigeyoshi Mochizuki scored the only goal of the 2000 Asian Cup final for Japan. It was a close-range volley from a Shunsuke Nakamura free kick, on 29 minutes. That single goal decided Japan 1-0 Saudi Arabia.
Where and when was the 2000 Japan Asian Cup final played?
The 2000 Asian Cup final was played at the Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium in Beirut, Lebanon, on Sunday 29 October 2000. Lebanon hosted the tournament for the first time. The finals ran from 12 to 29 October 2000. Beirut staged the final between Japan and Saudi Arabia.
What was the attendance at the 2000 Asian Cup final?
The attendance at the 2000 Asian Cup final was 50,000. The match was played at the Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium in Beirut, a well-filled national stadium for a Japan v Saudi Arabia final.
Who was Japan’s manager at the 2000 Asian Cup?
Philippe Troussier of France managed Japan at the 2000 Asian Cup. His side marched to the title in Lebanon. He had been appointed to prepare the national team for the 2002 World Cup, which Japan would co-host. The Asian Cup was the major trophy his side won along the way.
Was the 2000 Asian Cup final a rematch of an earlier final?
Yes, the 2000 final repeated the 1992 AFC Asian Cup final, which Japan had also won 1-0 against Saudi Arabia. The 2000 win was Japan repeating their victory of eight years earlier. The 1992 final in Hiroshima finished Japan 1-0 Saudi Arabia, with Takuya Takagi scoring the only goal. Japan won both meetings by the same 1-0 scoreline.
How did Japan reach the 2000 Asian Cup final in Lebanon?
Japan reached the 2000 final by topping Group C and then winning two knockout ties, 4-1 against Iraq in the quarter-final and 3-2 against China in the semi-final. In the group stage they had beaten Saudi Arabia 4-1, run up an 8-1 win over Uzbekistan and drawn 1-1 with Qatar. That made the final their second match against Saudi Arabia in the same tournament.
Did Saudi Arabia miss a penalty in the 2000 Asian Cup final?
Saudi Arabia missed a penalty in the 10th minute of the 2000 final. It came after Mochizuki fouled Talal Al-Meshal in the box, and the same Mochizuki went on to score the winner. The penalty taker was Hamzah Idris. Kawaguchi’s goalkeeping kept the miss decisive.
Who was named man of the match in the 2000 Asian Cup final?
Japan goalkeeper Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi was named man of the match in the 2000 Asian Cup final. His saves protected a one-goal lead against the defending champions. Japan held on to win 1-0 at the Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium. The award recognised a goalkeeper’s final as much as a scorer’s.
Who refereed the 2000 Japan v Saudi Arabia Asian Cup final?
Ali Bujsaim of the United Arab Emirates refereed the 2000 Asian Cup final. The final finished Japan 1-0 Saudi Arabia in Beirut, in front of a crowd of 50,000. His afternoon turned on a Saudi penalty missed in the 10th minute and a single Mochizuki goal. Japan’s win gave them their second continental title.
How many Asian Cup titles had Japan won by the end of 2000?
Japan had won two AFC Asian Cup titles by the end of 2000, in 1992 and 2000. The 2000 final in Beirut was their second. Both wins came 1-0 against Saudi Arabia. The first, in 1992, was staged on home soil in Hiroshima.
What did the 2000 Asian Cup win mean for Japan before the 2002 World Cup?
The 2000 Asian Cup gave Troussier’s Japan a major trophy 19 months before they co-hosted the 2002 World Cup. Players who featured in Beirut, including Kawaguchi and Nakamura, formed part of the squad that reached the knockout round at that home World Cup. The continental title showed a team built for a home tournament could win silverware first. It framed Japan as Asia’s leading side going into 2002.
What was the score when Japan played Saudi Arabia in the 2000 group stage?
Japan beat Saudi Arabia 4-1 in the group stage of the 2000 Asian Cup. The two sides were drawn together in Group C before meeting again in the final. That group win meant Japan defeated Saudi Arabia twice in the same tournament. The final was far tighter, at 1-0.
How many goals did Japan score at the 2000 Asian Cup?
Japan scored 21 goals across the 2000 Asian Cup finals, the most of any of the twelve teams. That total spanned six matches from the group stage to the final. It included an 8-1 win over Uzbekistan and the single goal that won the final. South Korea’s Lee Dong-gook was the tournament’s overall top scorer with six goals.
The 2000 Japan Asian Cup final, in its place
Mochizuki’s goal off Nakamura’s free kick did more than settle one final: it confirmed that the side Troussier was assembling for a home World Cup could already beat the continent’s most consistent finalists, and beat them twice in fifteen days. You can trace the rest of that story, and the finals that followed, through our On This Day archive.
Sources: AFC, Inside World Football, RSSSF, Wikipedia.
Watch More Football History
The Football Documentary Channel
