æz ɐ plˈeɪɚ, hiː wʌzɐ pɑːɹtˈɪsɪpənt ɪnðə tˈuː θˈaʊzənd tˈuː fˈiːfə wˈɜːld kˈʌp ɪn sˈaʊθ kɚɹˈiːə slˈæʃ dʒəpˈæn ænd ðə tˈuː θˈaʊzənd sˈɪks fˈiːfə wˈɜːld kˈʌp ɪn dʒˈɜːməni.
As a player, he was a participant in the 2002 FIFA World Cup in South Korea/Japan and the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany.