Cambodia v Japan: Table-topping visitors take on lowly opponents

Cambodia host Japan on Tuesday, hoping to avoid a seventh successive defeat in World Cup qualifying.

Japan moved to the top of Group E after securing a comfortable 3-0 win over Singapore on Thursday and now hold a one-point lead over nearest challengers Syria after five matches.

Mu Kanazaki and Keisuke Honda scored first-half goals for Japan before Maya Yoshida wrapped up all three points with a late strike.

Vahid Halilhodzic’s side – who were the first side to qualify for the 2014 World Cup – travel to Phnom Penh in search of more goals.

“I’m very happy for the victory, we played with ambition and aggressiveness [but] unfortunately we couldn’t score more goals,” the head coach said.

“We had to score three more goals … we have to continue to try and search for progress, individually and collectively.”

Bottom-of-the-table Cambodia were beaten 3-0 by Afghanistan on Thursday, slumping to their sixth consecutive loss in the group.

Lee Tae-hoon’s side have scored just one goal, conceding 19 times.

Japan beat Cambodia 3-0 at home in September with a weakened side and are expected to see off their opponents with relative ease at the Olympic Stadium with the attacking talent of Honda, Shinji Okazaki and Shinji Kagawa all available.