Vahid Halilhodzic appears to have weathered the storm that threatened to cut short his tenure as national team manager last month. But the Bosnian will be anxious not to slip back into the danger zone when Japan takes on Saudi Arabia in a World Cup qualifier in Saitama next Tuesday.

Japan faces the Saudis having clawed its way back into Group B contention with a last-gasp home win over Iraq and a hard-fought away draw with Australia last month. The damage done by an opening home defeat to the United Arab Emirates means Japan trails group leader Saudi Arabia by three points and Australia by one going into next week's game, but a big win over the Saudis could yet put Halilhodzic's side on top of the group at the halfway point of the campaign.

"Depending on whether we win or lose here, the away games could become very difficult," Japan defender Tomoaki Makino said earlier this week. "We'll be at home, where there will be lots of fans, and it's the last game of the year. The result will change next year's outlook for us."