Goals Scored: MAIGA Abou (BEN) 37' , MIZUNO Koki (JPN) 65' 
 
Japan's Takayuki Morimoto controls the ball in the 1-1 draw with Benin Lee Mills ACTION IMAGES 
 
Once again, brave Benin let a hard-earned lead slip away as they allowed Japan to steal their first point in Group A at Netherlands 2005. 
 
Supersub Koki Mizuno's bending free-kick equalised a first-half snapshot from Abou Maiga to give Japan a share of the spoils in the second match for both sides at the FIFA World Youth Championship Netherlands 2005.  Despite being reduced to ten men with 20 minutes left, the African debutants are still undefeated as they picked up their second point of the campaign with a second 1-1 draw on the trot at Kerkrade's Parkstad Limburg Stadium.
 
In sharp contrast to their dour start in the first match against the Dutch, Japan came out all flying daggers against Benin.  But looking only to pump long, hopeful balls to the head of towering striker Sota Hirayama, the tactics failed to pay dividends.
 
"We didn't manage to play our own game in the first half," remarked Japan coach Kiyoshi Ohkuma. "Things got better in the second, but we failed to create enough chances and take the ones we did create."
 
While the Japanese insisted on an ill-advised aerial bombardment, Benin were having difficulty freeing up their lethal strikers Razak Omotoyossi and Abou Maiga.  Playing too far apart in the early going, the dynamic duo were isolated and easily crowded off the ball by a steely four-man Japanese rearguard. 
 
Hirayama's snapshot in minute 25 was the first real chance in a largely lacklustre opening period. But before the ball could nestle in the corner of the Benin net it was clattered away at full stretch for a corner.
 
Just minutes later Benin had a chance of their own when Omotoyossi, for once, slipped his two-man marking team and fed Maiga. The Creteil striker's snapshot from the edge of the box forced Shusaku Nishikawi into a wonderful reflex save. 
 
Benin were beginning to look their skilful selves and on 37 minutes they got their reward after a horror giveaway by Japan captain Shingo Hyodo in midfield gifted the ball to Coffi Agbessi who roared into space to feed Maiga. Cutting to his right, the CAF qualifying sensation made just enough room to slam past the keeper at the near post and send the large pockets of Benin fans into wild celebrations. (1:0, 37')
 
Stunned into response, the Japanese went close through Hirayama just seconds after the restart.  But like Yohei Kajiyama's try in the 42nd minute, it skipped agonisingly wide of the post to leave the Asians down a goal at the interval.
 
Benin captain Romualde Boco kept driving his team forward against Japan. (ACTION IMAGES) Lee Mills 

Benin down to ten men
Benin began to boss the play in earnest as the second half got underway with Omotoyossi finding more time on the ball and space in attack. His vicious strike from 25 yards in minute 61 had Nishikawi scrambling. 
 
But as they did in their first match against Australia, Benin's indiscipline paved the way for an equaliser.  Captian Bachirou Osseni's foolish foul on Robert Cullen at the edge of the box led to a free kick some 20 yards from goal. Second-half substitute Mizuno made no mistake as he bent his right-footed curler past a flat-footed Yoann Djidonou and into to the top corner (1:1, 65').
 
Things soon went from bad to worse for Benin when Oscar Olou saw his second yellow for touching the ball before a Japan free kick, and was promptly given his marching orders by Danish referee Claus Bo Larsen.
 
Thankfully for the African first-timers, Japan could not quite take advantage of their numerical superiority as the match ended one apiece. 
 
Benin's French boss Serge Deveze was bullish after the match. "We should have won," he said. "We created more chances to score and played better than Japan even with 10 men."