Eiji Kawashima proved the point on Saturday

Eiji Kawashima

Few sides win major competitions without significant contributions from their goalkeepers. Japan custodian Eiji Kawashima proved the point on Saturday by playing an instrumental part in his side’s 1-0 win over Australia in the final of the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2011.

The hero of the Samurai Blue’s semi-final defeat of Korea Republic, the SK Lierse keeper was in outstanding form again at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha, pulling off a string of excellent stops to pave the way for Japan’s fourth continental title.

After receiving a richly deserved Man of the Match award, the 27-year-old shot-stopper spoke exclusively to  his stunning showing against the Socceroos and the challenges that lie ahead for him and his country.

Eiji, congratulations on your win. How does it feel to be the champions of Asia? Eiji Kawashima: It feels amazing. Winning this trophy is a wonderful achievement for us.

Australia played well and created lots of chances. What was the key to winning the game? We went out there to play our usual game but they made it hard for us to do that. We had to stay patient. We held on and things worked out for us in the end.

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The match looked destined for penalties. Were you ready for that? Yes (laughs). It was on my mind, but luckily we managed to get that goal in the second half of extra time.

You denied Harry Kewell in a one-on-one situation with 18 minutes remaining in normal time. Was that the turning point of the match? One goal can make all the difference in big games like this, so it was vital for us not to concede and I’m delighted we managed that today.