InsideJapan News Network

Japan's national football team for the Olympic Games has won its first game of qualification for the London 2012 event.

The team beat Kuwait 3-1 in the first leg of two qualifiers, meaning they travel to the away fixture as the favourites to advance.

If they do win over two legs, Japan's footballers will be entered into a four-team group, the winner of which will be going to London. Some teams they may end up facing include South Korea, United Arab Emirates and Iran, who all also won their first legs.

Hiroshi Kiyotake, who scored the first goal in the match, told the Asian Football Federation's website that although they won, the Japanese team still had a lot to work on.

"It was a disappointing game, because we let in a goal. We could have scored more goals. But we can go to Kuwait in very good form," he said.

Each country's under-23 national teams compete in the Olympic Games, while a special dispensation allows for three players above this age to be included.

Written by Kimberley Homer 


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