On Saturday 23 June, just one day ahead of their match against Senegal National Team in their second group stage competition of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia, Coach NISHINO Akira of the SAMURAI BLUE (Japan National Team) appeared in an official press-conference held at Ekaterinburg Arena and shared his aspiration to “Strive for the highest point.”

With their 2-1 victory over Colombia in their first group stage match, Japan now has a chance of clinching the round of 16 with a win over Senegal on Sunday 24, along with a Colombia victory or a tie against Poland in the other Group H fixture. With the given scenario, Japan will make their first round of 16 appearance since 2010, ahead of their third group stage bout against Poland.

However, Senegal has also won their first match 2-1 against Poland and inevitably they will enter the match with the intention to win three points to put themselves closer to the knockout stage.

Coach Nishino shared his determination, “We are currently leading the group. I believe that we are in a position where we must take the risk in the second match.”

Regarding their opponents, the coach pointed out, “They are a very well organised team with outstanding discipline. In order to make use of their individual strengths and speed, their defence is well structured to initiate their attacks.” He continued with a sense of urgency, “We haven’t been able to conduct test-matches against such teams, so we don’t know what to expect from our encounter tomorrow.”

The team held an official training session at the match venue, as the players were seen checking the turf condition and going through their tactics.

In comparison with Japan, who is making their sixth consecutive, sixth overall World Cup appearance, this year marks the second for Senegal. Last time they appeared in the World Cup was when Japan and Korea Republic hosted the Cup in 2002, where they made a deep run into the quarterfinals after causing an upset by beating the defending champions France in their first match.

Led by Coach Aliou CISSE, who also led the team in 2002 as the team captain, the team carries an experienced group of coaches including Omar DAF and Tony SYLVA who played in European clubs during their careers.

On the field, the team is led by their ace, Sadio MANE (Liverpool), who recently scored a goal against Real Madrid in the Final of the UEFA Champions League. Japan must also be careful of another striker with the name of M'Baye NIANG, a young player with great height and speed.

Coach Cisse described the match, “A win will put either team through to the round of 16, so both teams are eager to win. It will be a close match.” The Senegalese coach continued by showing his confidence by stating, “I can’t go into the details, but we can employ many systems.”

Coach Nishino also shared his confidence, “We have nothing to be scared of and we will enter the match with great confidence in our team work. We have prepared ourselves well, so rather than being afraid, we are very much looking forward for the match. We’d like to showcase exactly how to beat Senegal.”

Coaches' and Players' Comments

NISHINO Akira, Coach of SAMURAI BLUE (Japan National Team)
The Senegal side we are about to face consists with not only physical strength and speed, but they are a very well organised team. In order to make use of their individual strengths and speed, their defence is well structured to initiate their attacks. They also have great amount of discipline and we must be cautious of their collective approach. We cannot allow the match to enter a physical battle, as our opponents will have the upper hand in that aspect. We must be creative and utilise our quickness to catch them off guards, while constantly moving the ball around. Our opponents will not show much flaws, so we must use our head to strategically find ways to get by them.

FP #7 SHIBASAKI Gaku (Getafe C.F.)
We have set our priority on recovering from the previous match, and while doing so, we have analysed our opponents. We have all the information in our heads. We have done everything we can within the four days we were given ahead of tomorrow’s match. The opposing players are very fast, and we cannot keep up with them in a race. We must put ourselves in a better position when facing them in defence. As a team, we must stay compact in defence so that we give them no space to exploit.

FP #11 USAMI Takashi (Fortuna Dusseldorf)
We just have to grind it out tomorrow. Our opponent’s concentration will not last for the entire 90 minutes. There must be a stint where we can exploit. They are a very strong team with many talented players. We must pay a close attention to those players and give them no chances, while we anticipate for our own chances.

FP #15 OSAKO Yuya (Werder Bremen)
We would like to earn the full three points, but there will be stints where things don’t go in our favour. We must keep our patience in those moments and do what ever it takes to earn points, whether it’s a win or a tie. The team must be committed. Our win in the first match gave us three points, but it doesn’t mean we have a huge advantage. We will reset our minds and play as if it’s our first match.

FP #22 YOSHIDA Maya (Southampton FC)
We couldn’t manage to do so in our last match, but we would like to keep a clean sheet in this match. The team has conceded from set-plays in the recent matches, and we must improve that aspect. Our opponents consist great speed and physical strengths, so we must stay organised and be on high alert in defence. This is an important match for both teams, and it will inevitably be a tough one, but our approach remains the same from the Colombia match. I would like to point out that we are very moved by the actions taken by our fans, where they clean up the stadium after the match. I am proud to learn that the actions taken by our country’s fans are now being acknowledged and becoming a role model for other countries. The Japanese fans value the aesthetics of leaving the site cleaner than it was when they arrived, and I am very proud of that.

Aliou CISSE, Coach (Senegal National Team)
The Japanese players consists an above average techniques and they can possess the ball well while their defence applies tons of pressure. In order to win against a team like them, it is important to believe in our players’ professionalism. A win will give us great confidence, and I am confident in my players. They all want to make history. The World Cup only comes once every four years, and this could be the last one. Japan has the edge in experience as they have played in the World Cup since 1998, but we are the favoured team in this match, and we’d like to prove that with a victory. We are looking to at least match the results from the 2002 World Cup.

Schedule

*Local Time
*The schedule is subject to change due to the team condition, the weather, etc.

2018 FIFA World Cup Russia

Tournament Dates: 14 June - 15 July 2018

Group stage
1st Match Tue. 19 June Kickoff at 15:00 vs Colombia National Team (Mordovia Arena)
(21:00 Japan time)
2nd Match Sun. 24 June Kickoff at 20:00 vs Senegal National Team (Ekaterinburg Arena)
(Mon. 25 June, 0:00 Japan time)
3rd Match Thu. 28 June Kickoff at 17:00 vs Poland National Team (Volgograd Arena)
(23:00 Japan time)

For more information