Anthony Elanga admits he 'didn't know' a draw would be enough

Sweden secured a place in the World Cup knockout stages after a hard-fought 1-1 draw with Japan. The match, scoreless at halftime, burst into life after the interval when Daizen Maeda put Japan ahead in the 56th minute before Anthony Elanga curled in an equaliser with his left foot.

The Nottingham Forest forward’s goal — his second of the tournament — ultimately gave Sweden the point needed to progress as one of the best third-placed teams, with Alexander Isak later rattling the crossbar as Sweden pushed for more. There was confusion on the bench as staff worked out the permutations, but Elanga said his only focus was chasing a winner.

"I was just screaming: 'Come on, we can go for more'. I’m glad we’re through, I didn’t know that at the end," he admitted, adding that he ignored instructions from the sidelines and ran on despite cramp. Team-mates and staff reacted with a mix of amusement and relief.

Sweden

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