PRETORIA // Takeshi Okada, the Japan coach mocked in the run-up to the World Cup for his assertion that his side could reach the last four, cut a depressed and disappointed figure last night when quizzed on his future.
Okada watched his side fall out of the tournament in a tense penalty shoot-out with Paraguay following a scoreless stalemate and he announced immediately afterwards that he felt he had achieved all that he could.
"Our objective was to score the goals to win, but unfortunately we were not able to do that," Okada said.
"In terms of how we played, I have no regrets at all. The players were wonderful and they have been truly proud of being Japanese and representing Asia as a whole.
"They played until the end, so I am proud, but I was not able to get them to win. That is my responsibility; I did not do enough."
When asked if he would remain as coach of the Blue Samurais, Okada responded: "I don't think there is anything else for me to do now [with this team]."
Japan have surprised many football followers this month in South Africa, impressing throughout the tournament and displaying technical prowess, guile and a keen eye for goal.
But yesterday, after having struggled to break down a physically imposing Paraguay backline, Okada refused to accept his country had achieved their goal.
"We did not come here to play football and surprise people. We have always said that we were going to win, and it is because of the positive results that we have surprised people. But now I am not satisfied, because we did not win.
"Football is not a leisure, it is a sport and it has winners and losers.
"We needed to win and what we have done has not been sufficient."
@Email:gmeenaghan@thenational.ae
UAE's final round of matches
- Sep 1, 2016 Beat Japan 2-1 (away)
- Sep 6, 2016 Lost to Australia 1-0 (home)
- Oct 6, 2016 Beat Thailand 3-1 (home)
- Oct 11, 2016 Lost to Saudi Arabia 3-0 (away)
- Nov 15, 2016 Beat Iraq 2-0 (home)
- Mar 23, 2017 Lost to Japan 2-0 (home)
- Mar 28, 2017 Lost to Australia 2-0 (away)
- June 13, 2017 Drew 1-1 with Thailand (away)
- Aug 29, 2017 v Saudi Arabia (home)
- Sep 5, 2017 v Iraq (away)
The bio
Job: Coder, website designer and chief executive, Trinet solutions
School: Year 8 pupil at Elite English School in Abu Hail, Deira
Role Models: Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk
Dream City: San Francisco
Hometown: Dubai
City of birth: Thiruvilla, Kerala
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association