Japan 2–2 Iraq (1994 FIFA World Cup qualifying)

The tragedy of Doha (Japanese:ドーハの悲劇Doha no higeki ) is the well known among Japanese football fans Identification of the football World Cup qualifier between the Japanese national and Iraq on 28 October 1993 in the Qatari capital Doha.

Asian champions Japan were up to 92 minutes with a 2-1 lead, which one of the two Asian launch sites would have for the FIFA World Cup 1994 is in the United States. However, Iraq in stoppage time scored the equalizer and thus supplanted Japan by the qualifying ranks. The level on points located with the Japanese, South Korea was allowed on goal difference, however, participate in the World Cup finals.

In South Korea, even the game under the name is The Miracle of Doha (Korean: 도하 의 기적 Doha ui Gijeok ) known in Iraq, however, the game is hardly known and therefore has no value.

The Asian Qualification

The Asian qualification for the FIFA World Cup 1994 was held over two group stages, the group winners of the six groups of the first round met in the second round in a single group against each other. Of the six teams the first two qualify for the finals in the USA. Each team played one against the other, all the games were held in neutral Doha.

Besides Japan, the other group winners Iraq, South Korea, Iran, Saudi Arabia and North Korea were qualified. On the penultimate day Japan had defeated South Korea 1-0 and the championship lead. With a win against the Iraqis the initial qualification had been secured.

The table before the final day ( two-point rating ):

With the exception of North Korea, all teams could still qualify for the World Cup. A win would be Japan, have been regardless of the outcome of the other two games, qualified. A draw would have been Japan only continue if South Korea or Saudi Arabia could not win their last matches and Iran would have won no more than four -goal against Saudi Arabia. And in defeat Japan would have failed in all cases.

The games on the last day

The Japanese went through Kazuyoshi Miura in 5 minutes in the lead and with this guide to the half-time break, but Radhi Shenshil leveled the score after 54 minutes. However, the Japanese came by Masashi Nakayama ten minutes before the end to make it 2-1 and Japan, this finding would have been qualified.

The two remaining games have already been completed earlier: Saudi Arabia Iran had defeated 4-3 and was qualified so, South Korea had won 3-0 against North Korea and now had to wait for the result of the match Japan - Iraq.

In injury time the Iraqis Jaffar Omran Salman managed by a head of the 2:2 compensation, a few seconds later, the Swiss referee whistled Serge Mummenthaler the game from. Japan was excreted with it.

Lineups

The table at the end of the qualification

Follow

Japan coach Marius Johan Ooft was released ten days afterwards defeat. The South Korean team came at the World Cup does not have the preliminaries out (eg 2:3 defeat against Germany ). Of the players were employed at the first World Cup participation of Japan in 1998 only Nakayama and Ihara in the squad.

The Iraqi Embassy in Seoul received 300 calls from South Korea Thank you fans, in Tokyo, the Iraqi flag was stolen.

Japanese and South Korean participation in another World Cup Soccer Championships

After Qualifikationsaus 1993 Japan and South Korea met in qualifying for the FIFA 1998 World Cup each other again in the final round. The first leg in Tokyo, the Japanese lost with 1:2 and despite the 2-0 victory in Seoul, South Korea was group winner and qualified with six points ahead of the Japanese, as the team made ​​some mistake (eg draw in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan). In a play-off game in the Malaysian Johor Bahru Japan defeated Iran 3-2 and secured the first participation. In the final round in France, however, Japan resigned from no points in the first round.

In 2002, Japan and South Korea reached jointly host the World Cup and the Japanese the first knockout round, while South Korea came in fourth. 2006 left both teams in the first round. For the 2010 World Cup, both teams were able to qualify and eliminated in the second round each of (South Korea defeated Uruguay with 1:2, Japan was defeated Paraguay 3:5 n E. ).