Yasuyuki Konno was left to celebrate a dream return for Japan after he scored in their 2-0 win over UAE, and declared his strike a “miracle”.

The Gamba Osaka veteran, who was receiving his first international outing since March 2015, netted the clincher at Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium on Thursday.

Afterwards, he reflected on his initial nervousness but added that he settled in well once Japan had worked out a plan to contain their effervescent hosts.

“I wasn’t 100 per cent confident going into the match,” Konno told reporters. “But then I was able to focus on our pressing and intercepting their passes, so it’s good that I was able to start the match positively.

“I’d discussed with Shinji (Kagawa) that we couldn’t just attack quickly; we had to set our rhythm, control the ball, and establish our positioning. I think we were able to accomplish that.

“I wasn’t 100 per cent confident going into the match, but then I was able to focus on our pressing and intercepting their passes, so it’s good that I was able to start the match positively.

“The goal was a bit of a miracle. Genki [Haraguchi] drew the defender off me and [Yuya] Kubo just sent me a perfect ball: the right speed, the right angle, the right spot. 

“I trapped it and was maybe in a hurry to take the shot, so I’m just glad it went in.”