Devastated Nishino blames himself for Japan collapse

Japan’s World Cup collapse against Belgium left Akira Nishino “devastated”, the coach taking the responsibility away from his players following Nacer Chadli’s last-gasp winner.

Chadli struck in the dying moments of stoppage time to break Japan’s hearts in Rostov-on-Don, completing a remarkable Belgium turnaround.

Japan had looked in complete control when Takashi Inui put them 2-0 up in the 52nd minute, but headers from Jan Vertonghen and Marouane Fellaini levelled matters before Chadli’s heroics.

And Nishino, who only took charge of the national team in April, could not hide his frustration at Japan’s failure to at least force extra-time.

“I do not want to admit it, I feel it was a tragedy, but I have to accept the defeat as a fact. I feel devastated. I am very disappointed,” he told a news conference.

“A very small difference, I thought there wasn’t anything in it between us. Maybe it was my decisions as a coach or my tactics and we couldn’t catch or keep up with Belgium. 

“I was questioning myself, whether I had the control of the game. We were 2-0 up and still the score was reversed.

“I don’t think it was the players to be blamed, it was me who might have lost control of the game. And when that goal was conceded I blamed myself, and I questioned my tactics.”

Japan surprised many by securing progression from Group G, considering their dismal showing in Brazil in 2014.

However, despite the defeat, Nishino remains positive about the future of Japanese football should the players learn from their experience in Russia.

“Four years ago in Brazil, we did not make it to the last 16,” he said.

“Four years passed, we have been training hard, the players playing hard. We were determined to go through to the next stage.

“I wanted my players to have a different mentality to the ones Japanese players had in the past. And I think we did succeed in having a different mentality, but the skills were missing, so four years from now we’d like to come back.

“The players played to the best of their ability. So, the result I cannot really call a success, but we can be more successful next time.”