Japan recorded their first FIFA World Cup™ win on foreign soil after Keisuke Honda's 39th-minute strike proved enough to down Cameroon at the Free State Stadium.
Honda's decisive contribution was handsome reward for Japan coach Takeshi Okada's gamble to deploy the CSKA Moscow midfielder in a central attacking role in an attempt to remedy his team's lack of goals. The Japanese, without a clean sheet in their warm-up matches, then frustrated Cameroon at the other end, surviving a late scare when the woodwork denied Stephane Mbia.
