TOKYO: Japanese football has paid tribute to Kunishige Kamamoto after the country’s most prolific striker died aged 81.

Kamamoto, who scored 75 goals in 76 appearances for Japan, died on Sunday of pneumonia.

“Mr. Kamamoto was truly an unparalleled striker,” Japan Football Association president Tsuneyasu Miyamoto said in a statement.

The Kyoto native is best remembered for his exploits at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico, where he was the top scorer with seven goals and led Japan to the bronze medal.

With stamina, agility and physical strength, Kamamoto was first called up to the national squad aged 19.

In 1967 he joined Yanmar Diesel, now Cerezo Osaka, plundering 202 goals in 251 games until his retirement in 1984.

During the final years of his playing career he also worked as Yanmar’s manager.

After football Kamamoto shifted to politics, becoming an upper house lawmaker in 1995.

He also worked on Japan’s bid to host the 2002 World Cup, which was co-hosted with South Korea.

Current Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu said Kamamoto “gave us a ray of hope that Japanese football can compete on the international stage”, according to Kyodo News.

“I’m hoping for a player who could eventually eclipse Mr. Kamamoto to emerge,” he added.

Kazuyoshi Miura, the former Japan international forward who is still playing aged 58, said Brazilian legend Pele had called Kamamoto “a great striker”.

Pele played in Kamamoto’s retirement match, Kyodo said.

“When I heard King Pele call him a ‘great striker,’ I was really proud as a Japanese, and I can still remember that now,” said Miura, who is second in Japan’s list of all-time scorers.

AFP