Japan have set out their game plan to thwart Group H rivals Senegal when they meet in Yekaterinburg on Sunday - hound Sadio Mane out of the match by putting three men on him if necessary.
The Asian giants face the West Africans in a top-of-the-table clash following last Tuesday's 2-1 victory over Colombia.
Victory over Senegal would virtually seal a place in the last 16 and Japan manager Akiro Nishino, who was drafted in weeks before the start of the tournament following Vahid Halilhodzic's sacking, said his unfancied side will go for the jugular.
But he is wary of the African side's pace and power, devastatingly demonstrated in their own 2-1 victory over top seeds Poland in their opening group match.
In Liverpool forward Mane, the Africans have a player who can win a match on his own.
Japan will have some information on Mane from defender Maya Yoshida, a former teammate of Mane's at Southampton before the forward moved to Anfield in 2016.
Nishino said that all of Japan's players had been briefed about how to stop the 26-year-old dangerman.
"It is not just Yoshida, but all the players we are giving them information about Mane, though I am sure he will be in some duels with Mane," Nishino said on Saturday.
"I am sure we can deal with him but with the contribution that Mane can make, it might be possible to mark him one on one or even three on one.
"It is possible to stop him but the trouble is that he has influence too on other players, and that is what we are concerned about."
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Read more on World Cup 2018:
World Cup 2018: Day 10 updates - Belgium hammer Tunisia 5-2
Comment: Sadio Mane and the rest of Senegal's modern day stars owe class of 2002 a huge debt
World Cup 2018: Ronaldo's hat-trick, Musa magic and the 10 best moments of the tournament so far
World Cup 2018: Messi overreaction, Salah's early exit and 10 worst moments so far
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The Japanese were widely written off when Nishino was rushed in as manager in April following Halilhodzic's departure, leaving him precious little time to prepare for Russia.
Japan stunned 10-man Colombia to take charge of Group H and Nishino revealed that some of his players had wanted to settle for a draw after 45 minutes with the scores locked at 1-1.
"At half time some of the players were saying 'We have done enough, we can settle for a draw.' But I said that we could win and we will win so we went for victory and that is why I gave them attacking tactics and that is why we are top of the group," Nishino said.
"I always say the second match is the deciding match and we have to win, no matter who we play.
"We need to earn maximum points. Even if it is slightly risky we want to attack and try to win."
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Joker: Folie a Deux
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson
Director: Todd Phillips
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Score
Third Test, Day 1
New Zealand 229-7 (90 ov)
Pakistan
New Zealand won the toss and elected to bat
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
The biog
Name: Younis Al Balooshi
Nationality: Emirati
Education: Doctorate degree in forensic medicine at the University of Bonn
Hobbies: Drawing and reading books about graphic design
Email sent to Uber team from chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi
From: Dara
To: Team@
Date: March 25, 2019 at 11:45pm PT
Subj: Accelerating in the Middle East
Five years ago, Uber launched in the Middle East. It was the start of an incredible journey, with millions of riders and drivers finding new ways to move and work in a dynamic region that’s become so important to Uber. Now Pakistan is one of our fastest-growing markets in the world, women are driving with Uber across Saudi Arabia, and we chose Cairo to launch our first Uber Bus product late last year.
Today we are taking the next step in this journey—well, it’s more like a leap, and a big one: in a few minutes, we’ll announce that we’ve agreed to acquire Careem. Importantly, we intend to operate Careem independently, under the leadership of co-founder and current CEO Mudassir Sheikha. I’ve gotten to know both co-founders, Mudassir and Magnus Olsson, and what they have built is truly extraordinary. They are first-class entrepreneurs who share our platform vision and, like us, have launched a wide range of products—from digital payments to food delivery—to serve consumers.
I expect many of you will ask how we arrived at this structure, meaning allowing Careem to maintain an independent brand and operate separately. After careful consideration, we decided that this framework has the advantage of letting us build new products and try new ideas across not one, but two, strong brands, with strong operators within each. Over time, by integrating parts of our networks, we can operate more efficiently, achieve even lower wait times, expand new products like high-capacity vehicles and payments, and quicken the already remarkable pace of innovation in the region.
This acquisition is subject to regulatory approval in various countries, which we don’t expect before Q1 2020. Until then, nothing changes. And since both companies will continue to largely operate separately after the acquisition, very little will change in either teams’ day-to-day operations post-close. Today’s news is a testament to the incredible business our team has worked so hard to build.
It’s a great day for the Middle East, for the region’s thriving tech sector, for Careem, and for Uber.
Uber on,
Dara
The five pillars of Islam
What is Genes in Space?
Genes in Space is an annual competition first launched by the UAE Space Agency, The National and Boeing in 2015.
It challenges school pupils to design experiments to be conducted in space and it aims to encourage future talent for the UAE’s fledgling space industry. It is the first of its kind in the UAE and, as well as encouraging talent, it also aims to raise interest and awareness among the general population about space exploration.
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How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
Copa del Rey
Barcelona v Real Madrid
Semi-final, first leg
Wednesday (midnight UAE)