Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
London: Japan striker Shinji Okazaki gave Samurai Blue boss Vahid Halihodzic a timely reminder of his attacking prowess ahead of the resumption of the 2018 FIFA World Cup/2019 AFC Asian Cup joint-qualifying campaign when he netted his first English Premier League goal for Leicester City in the Foxes 2-1 win at West Ham United on Saturday.
Okazaki headed home a 27th minute James Vardy cross at the second time of asking before having a hand in Leicester’s second when he exchanged passes with Marc Albrighton, who set up Algeria international Riyad Mahrez for the match-winner 12 minutes later.
The 29-year-old former Shimizu S-Pulse star joined the Thailand-owned Leicester City in June following four years in the Bundesliga, netting ten goals for VfB Stuttgart and 27 for FSV Mainz to become the most prolific Japanese scorer in German football history.
Okazaki made his English Premier League debut in the Foxes 2015/16 season-opening 4-2 win over Sunderland last week and started Saturday’s victory at the Boleyn Ground, playing 62 minutes before being replaced by French midfielder N’Golo Kante.
Japan’s current leading international goal scorer could feature for the four-time Asian champions when they resume their joint-qualifying campaign, when Okazaki will be hoping to add to his 43 national team goals when Halihodzic’s side host Cambodia in Saitama on September 3.
Photo: AFP