The FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ provided plenty of unexpected results, and perhaps one of the biggest surprises was Japan’s remarkable achievement of finishing top of Group E.

Most observers had picked previous World Cup champions Germany and Spain to progress from this group, but the Samurai Blue defeated both these powerhouses and advanced to the knockout phase.

Experienced goalkeeper Shuichi Gonda was a central figure in Japan’s comeback win over Germany in their opening group game, a result that kick-started the fairy tale for Hajime Moriyasu’s side.