The Ahmad bin Ali Stadium erupted for two reasons when Keysher Fuller’s 14-yard strike proved too high for goalkeeper Shuichi Gonda. Those of a Costa Rica persuasion were delighted to see not only the winner but their nation’s first shot on target of Qatar 2022 after Luis Fernando Suárez’s side drew a blank in their 7-0 drubbing by Spain.

It means Group E is wide open because Germany go into Sunday night’s game against Spain as the only country with zero points and yet this result is a definite fillip for them because they face Costa Rica last.

For the goal Hidemasa Morita was Japan’s first culprit, gifting the ball to Yeltsin Tejeda, who found Fuller – though Gonda was the second Samurai Blue man to blame because he was flatfooted. In a late flurry Japan appealed for a penalty for a Bryan Oviedo handball after Daichi Kamada’s shot but to no avail.