Japan braces for fired-up Oman after coach change

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TOKYO, June 6, 2008 (AFP) - Japan coach Takeshi Okada has warned that the last-minute sacking of his Oman counterpart may have fired up the Middle Eastern side ahead of their World Cup qualifier in Muscat on Saturday.

"A change of manager can affect the team in two ways. In one case, a wounded team may come out attacking with nothing to fear about. In the other, they get depressed," he said.

"We will prepare by assuming that the former is the case," Okada told reporters in Muscat on Thursday, according to Japanese media.

Julio Cesar Ribas, a Uruguayan, was replaced by homegrown Hamad Al Azani on Wednesday by the Oman Football Association following Oman's 3-0 defeat away to Japan last Monday.

The result put Japan back on track in the World Cup qualifying round following a shock 1-0 away loss to Bahrain in March.

Bahrain stand top of the Asian Group 2 with a perfect nine points with Japan, former Asian champions, trailing with two wins and one loss. Oman have one win and two losses and Thailand three straight defeats.

"I felt that our last win had left the team in a sort of lax atmosphere. I wanted them to concentrate," Okada said after a training session. "I think they are sharpening up quite a bit."

The Omani association's chairman, Sayyid Khalid Bin Hamad Bin Hamoud Al Busaidi, announced Ribas's ouster, lamenting that "Oman's standard has gone down drastically," according to the Oman Tribune.

Oman goalkeeper Ali Al Habsi has welcomed Ribas's departure, the Japanese daily Sports Hochi reported.

"I am very happy. We weren't sure if we could win under that manager. He didn't have mutual confidence with the players," Al Habsi was quoted as saying by Hochi. "The team will now move in a good direction."

Japan and Celtic playmaker Shunsuke Nakamura, who scored a goal and set up another in the last match, told Kyodo News: "The opposing side will tighten up after the change of manager. We must take them as a different team from the last game."

Doubts over Japan's defence eased after Brazilian-born centre back Marcus Tulio Tanaka returned to full training on Thursday after spraining a thigh in the last match in which left back Yuto Nagatomo also twisted his ankle.

"Tulio trained a lot in shooting. But Nagatomo may find it a little difficult to play," Okada said.

Okada needs another win to silence his critics who have questioned his tactics since he took over from ailing Ivica Osim in December.

Another worry for the Blue Samurai was the scorching heat in the Omani capital with the temperature soaring close to 40 degrees Celsius (104 F).

Okada said, "It may be difficult for us to maintain the work rate we showed in Monday's match."