Japan beat Germany 2-1 in their opening Group E match in shock results at the World Cup.
Germany had taken the lead through Ilkay Gundogan’s penalty at the Khalifa International Stadium, Doha. It was awarded the penalty in the 33rd minute.
Hansi Flick’s team put the ball back in the net during additional time at the end the first half. However, it was disallowed because of being offside.
German football players protest by covering their mouths – live updates
Two goals in eight minutes changed the game.
Japan’s Ritsu Donan, who plays football for Freiburg in Germany in Japan, equalized in the 75th minute. Takuma Asano then scored a simple goal over the top to give Japan the lead in the 83rd minute.
Germany failed to convert despite possessing 74% possession and twice the number of shots on target than Japan.
Four-time World Cup winners Germany suffered yet more defeats, losing to Spain. Hajime Moriyasu’s Japan took on Costa Rica.
This result is a day after Saudi Arabia defeated Argentina 2-1 in one the most shocking shocks World Cup history.
Germany’s football players protested before kick-off. They were threatened with sporting sanctions by FIFA and stopped from wearing the OneLove armband, which is anti-discrimination and rainbow-coloured.
As a gesture of support, the team planned to wear the armbands in Qatar where homosexuality is prohibited.
DFB, German Football Federation, tweeted a photo of the gesture and stated: “Denying you the armband is the equivalent to denying you a voice. We are firm in our position.
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Japan, who are currently in their seventh consecutive World Cup, suffered a surprise exit at the group stage in 2018 as World Cup defending champions.
