For the first time in their history, Japan walked onto the World Cup stage. Takeshi Okada led the squad into the unknown.
It was a tournament to forget for Japan, who left without a single victory to their name. Goals proved hard to come by, with just 1 in 3 matches, and their lack of firepower ultimately told.
Japan found the group stage unforgiving, unable to pick up a single victory against their opponents. Their campaign featured a narrow 0-1 loss to Argentina, a narrow 0-1 loss to Croatia, and a narrow 1-2 loss to Jamaica. The World Cup dream ended earlier than hoped, with Japan bowing out in the first round.
3lost
1scored4conceded
Lost all 3 matches failed to score in 2 of 3 matches.
Masashi Nakayama led Japan's attack with 1 goal at the 1998 World Cup.
7yellow
2.3per match
Nakanishi booked twice no red cards despite the yellow count.
The tactical mind behind Japan's 1998 campaign. Guided Japan to their first World Cup winless under Okada.
Takeshi Okada employed a flexible formation, often switching between 4-3-3 and 4-2-4 setups. However, Japan's attacking woes were evident in their inability to create scoring chances.
