SOUTH AFRICA 2010: Okada calls Morimoto

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Japan coach Takeshi Okada plans to call up emerging Catania striker Takayuki Morimoto for his first international cap to beef up the Blue Samurai's firepower.

Okada described the 21-year-old as powerful and "strong in front of goal" on Thursday as he outlined his likely squad for friendlies in the Netherlands next month. Japan will play the Dutch - ranked third in the world behind Brazil and Spain - in Enschede on 5 September and Ghana in Utrecht on 9 September as part of their preparations for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™.

Morimoto, who moved to Catania in 2006 after three seasons with J-League side Tokyo Verdy, has scored nine goals in 42 Serie A games. Okada, who has ambitiously set Japan the target of a semi-final spot at South Africa 2010, is expected to call up 22 players for the Dutch tour with around six Europe-based players.

He is scheduled to formally announce his squad on 28 August. Apart from Morimoto, Okada said: "There is little possibility that I will call up untested players. We will go straight forward with what we have tried so far."

Despite qualifying for South Africa, Japan lacked punch up front, going down 2-1 away to Australia in their final qualifier and only drawing 1-1 with unfancied Qatar at home.

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Japan-Cameroon 1-0

Japan team beat Cameroon 1-0 in Bloemfontein through a Keisuke Honda goal to notch their first ever World Cup victory on foreign soil.

The Blue Samurai, struggling for goals in the run-up to the tournament, took the lead in the 39th minute and held on for the remainder of the match despite increasing pressure from the African side in the second half.

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Netherlands - Japan 1-0

The Netherlands made it two wins from two games in Group E at the football World Cup with a 1-0 victory over Japan here Saturday.

The Dutch got the winner in the 53rd minutes when Wesley Sneijder's powerful drive from the edge of the area beat Eiji Kawashima in the Japanese goal in Durban.

Netherlands went on top of Group E.