Having secured Japan's passage into the final qualifiers for the 2010 World Cup, coach Takeshi Okada says national and personal pride is now at stake as he turned his attention to this week's meeting with Group 2 leader Bahrain.
Japan beat winless Thailand 3-0 and progressed to the last qualifying stage for the World Cup after Bahrain drew 1-1 with Oman in Asian third-round matches on Saturday.
Bahrain got the point they needed to advance and the result meant Japan also qualified as only a victory would have kept Oman's hopes of progressing alive.