Zico leads Japan from the other side of the world

Japan coach Zico said on Friday that he had instructed his team from a television studio in his native Brazil, more than 17,000 kilometres away, during their friendly against Argentina on Wednesday.

Zico, who was forced to return to his homeland after his mother died suddenly last week, watched the game at the Rio de Janeiro headquarters of Globo television and passed instructions to team officials on the touchline via cellphone.

"I asked for the substitutions and gave some suggestions, but not too many to avoid getting in the way," he told the Estado News Agency.

"But I missed being there. If I had been on the touchline, I could have given more information, asked for special marking throughout the 90 minutes of (Argentina midfielder Juan Sebastian) Veron," he said.

"It was interesting to see my team in action but, at the same time, it was nerve-wracking."

It was Japan's second match under Zico, the former Brazil captain who played out his career in the J-League. Their first ended in a 1-1 draw at home to Jamaica.