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PREVIEW: AFC ZONE QUALIFIERS

Iran, Japan almost there

Afp, Bangkok
Iran and Asian champions Japan only need draws against Bahrain and North Korea on
Wednesday to secure their auto-
matic seats at the World Cup finals in Germany next year.
But both Asian heayweights are promising to go all out for wins as they look to qualify in style from group B.
In group A South Korea, 2002 World Cup semi-finalists, will be eyeing maximum points against Kuwait, who are under new management after Serbia and Montenegro coach Slobodan Pavkovic paid for Saturday's 3-0 drubbing by Saudi Arabia with his job.
Former coach Mohammad Ibrahim has been handed the task of trying to reverse the team's fortunes with only two throws of the dice left.
"We have only 48 hours and while its not an easy task its not impossible. We have lost seven points so far in the qualifiers and the situation now is very hard," the 42-year-old told football.asia.com on Monday.
South Korea are in second on seven points, one behind leaders Saudi Arabia who host Uzbekistan in Riyadh.
The Saudis, under Gabriel Calderon, are vying for their fourth straight World Cup.
The top two in each group qualify automatically with the third-placed teams facing a play-off against each other with the winner playing the fourth-placed team from the Concacaf zone for another place.
Iran, bidding for a place in their third World Cup, have been promised "valuable" bonuses by President Mohammed Khatami if they make it to a fourth final.
"Wednesday will be a great day for Iran and the Iranians," said Mohammad Dadkan, the head of Iran's Football Federation.
"Although we can qualify with just a draw, we want to get the maximum points. We want everyone to pray."
Iran's Croatian coach Branko Ivankovich refused to get carried away with the tide of expectation.
"The game is not over yet," he said.
"It is too soon for the big celebration. We have a difficult game ahead of us on Wednesday against Bahrain. Some of our players got two yellow cards meaning they will not be able to play."
Man of the Match and the sole goal scorer in the North Korea game, Rahman Rezai, is among them.
Japan were put through a searching training session on Monday as their manager Zico left no stone unturned in his pursuit of qualification.
"We know we can go to Germany with a draw, but we will be playing to win," the former Brazilian star, said.
Zico is missing three key players through suspension - talisman-ic midfielder Hidetoshi Nakata, fellow midfielder Shunsuke Nakamura and left-sided flyer Alessandro Santos.
The clash on Wednesday night is being played behind closed doors in neutral Bangkok on the orders of FIFA after crowd trouble in Pyongyang erupted in the game against Iran in March.