Yugoslavia down Japan to enter final

Title aspirants Yugoslavia overcame some anxious moments before edging out a spirited Japan 1-0 in the second semi-final of the Sahara Cup Millennium football tournament at the Salt Lake stadium in Calcutta on Tuesday.

Medio Igor Duljaj scored the all-important goal in the fourth minute of play.

Both the teams dished out an attacking brand of soccer but the Yugoslavs relied on their experience to bring an end to the Japanese challenge in the 13-nation tournament.

Yugoslavia will take on arch rivals Bosnia, in what promises to be an exciting summit showdown at the same venue on Wednesday.

The Japanese could have got the equaliser had their forwards not frittered away a few gilt-edged opportunities that came their way, particularly in the action-packed second session.

The Yugoslavs shot into the lead as early as the fourth minute, with medio Igor Duljaj finding the target with a controlled lob from outside the box, leaving the young Japanese in a daze.

Duljaj, collecting a loose ball, lobbed it towards the goal and the Japanese custodian Toshiyasu Takahara could helplessly watch as the ball sailed into the goal over the heads of the defenders.

The Yugoslavs, who emerged champions in Group-I, clearly looked a superior team with an organised game but the Japanese put up a valiant effort and never showed signs of giving up their quest for the equaliser.

In the second session, the Yugoslavs accelerated the pace of the game after the lemon break with their strikers Igor Bogdanovic and Dragoliub Jeremic piercing the defence time and again, but the Japanese defenders were equal to the task.