Japan Under-23 manager Takashi Sekizuka allowed himself a moment to savor qualification for the London Olympic men's soccer tournament on Wednesday night, but the 51-year-old insists the real work begins now.
Japan beat Bahrain 2-0 at National Stadium to clinch a fifth consecutive appearance at the Summer Games, topping Group C three points ahead of nearest rival Syria.
Syria's 3-0 win over Malaysia meant Sekizuka's side could have lost by a narrow margin and still qualified for the July 26-Aug. 11 tournament, but the manager was taking nothing for granted until the final whistle made it official.