Each with a win and looking to top Group H, Japan and Senegal took to the field on Sunday seeking to all but secure their places in the last 16.

Senegal started the sharper and were rewarded in the 11th minute after a double Japanese blunder.

A poor defensive headed clearance by Genki Haraguchi fell to the African champions; then keeper Eiji Kawashima failed to catch a simple ball, pushing it onto the advancing Sadio Mane’s knees and into the goal (1-0).

He didn’t know nuch about it, but the predator was poised in the right place.

Japan started seeing more of the ball after that, passing well and gaining in confidence.

It paid off in the 34th minute when Yuto Nagatomo bamboozled the defence and a fed a pass into the path of Takashi Inui, who curled a powerful shot into the far corner (1-1).

It remained a stalemate at the break – a situation that would not have pleased either side.

Chances came and went at both ends in the second stanza, with Japan twice oh so close to taking the lead, including Inui hitting the junction of post and crossbar.

Somewhat against the run of play, teenager Moussa Wague whacked home a low cross that had eluded everyone else in a packed goalmouth and it was 2-1 to Senegal with 20 minutes to play.

Japan were back in it on 78 minutes when super sub Keisuke Honda drove the ball home from a scrap in front of the goals after keeper Abdoulaye Diallo came out and failed to intercept the cross.

It was indeed the power of dreams and that’s the way it ended, 2-2, with Japan twice having come from behind.

The spectators of both countries as well as the neutrals left the stadium having witnessed a superb clash.