The JFA 10th O-40 Japan Football Tournament kicked off at Fujieda, Shizuoka on Saturday 5 November.

A total of 16 teams, including regional representatives from each region, will compete in the tournament, where they are split into groups of four teams for round-robin league matches, with the top team from each group moving on to the finals.

In Group A, two teams got off to a hot start, with Seisho Wings FC (Kanto1/Kanagawa) winning 7-0 and Fujieda FC (Host/Shizuoka) 6-0. The two teams will go head-to-head in the second day of the tournament, which will have a major impact on the group's progress.

Group B quickly developed into a tight contest with both matches played on the first day ending in 1-1 draws. With all four teams levelled in points and goal differential, the competition will certainly go down to the wire.

Iwaki Senior FC (Tohoku1/Fukushima) started the group stage with a victory over Tokushima SFC (Shikoku/Tokushima) to take the lead in Group C, as the match between OITA OB OVER40 (Kyushu1/Oita) and FC Funabashi (Kanto3/Chiba) ended in a scoreless draw.

In Group D, both SOL TODA (Kanto2/Saito) and Club Compass Nagoya (Tokai/Aichi) won their matches 1-0, setting up enticing matchups for the second day.

The first round will conclude on the second day, with four teams advancing to the final round.

Players' Comments

AKIMOTO Michitaka (Fujieda FC)
These members supported me when I started a football school in Fujieda, which is why I chose to join this team. We practice after work and some of the players drive over an hour to get home after we finish around 9pm. It is incredible to watch how these individuals have been playing football for as long as they have because of their love for the game. I only have been playing futsal and using my (physical) savings from when I was a professional, but I'm having fun, giving it my all, and hoping to make a difference for the team.

FUSE Kazunori (Towada Kickers Senior 40)
When we were in primary school, we played in a national tournament as Towada Kickers Junior and lost to a team from Fujieda, which we played this time. The opponents may have a few players from that time as well. Former friends who had gone on to different high schools are now reunited to play on the same team. Even though our top priority is to have fun, we are determined to win our matches in order to enjoy the drinks afterwards. It was a great learning experience to play against Fujieda, who are one of the best teams in the country. They certainly taught us that we need to run as hard as they do. We hope to make the most of this experience to earn a victory tomorrow.

HIRAIWA Yuji (Tokushima SFC)
Our goalkeeper was injured and was substituted by one of our field players, but injuries are part of the game. It is hard to field a full squad, which is probably a common theme for all teams at this age group, especially when we have to travel. Although we managed to make the necessary adjustments during halftime, we weren’t able to rally back at the end. We know how hard it is to compete in these national tournaments, so we will first try to win a match tomorrow. Some of our players are expected to join the team tomorrow, so we will fight as one to earn ourselves a victory.

SUZUKI Katsunori (Iwaki Senior FC)
We had a great time playing on this wonderful pitch and atmosphere. During halftime, we reminded each other that the next goal would be the decisive goal, but we ended up conceding first. We wanted to play smart to win the match, so that is an aspect we need to improve on. For the past four, five years, this team has gone through a generation change and have worked hard to achieve our goal of winning the national title. This is our chance to make it a reality, so we need to win. We are up against tough opponents, but we are fully determined as a team, so we hope to showcase our teamwork to advance through.

JFA 10th O-40 Japan Football Tournament

Dates: Sat. 5 - Mon. 7 November 2022
Venue: Fujieda Sports Complex Park, Fujieda City Field (Fujieda, Shizuoka)

Tournament Information