On Thursday 5 September, SAMURAI BLUE (Japan National Team) played their first match in the final round of the FIFA World Cup 26™ Asian qualifiers at Saitama Stadium 2002, where they took on the China PR National Team.

Japan, currently ranked 18th in the FIFA world rankings, had struggled in their opening matches of the final round of the last two qualifiers, failing to pick up a point in each. This time, however, they overpowered China PR, ranked 87th in the FIFA world rankings, with an aggressive attacking and defensive display to secure all three points.

For this match, Japan opted for a 3-6-1 formation with SUZUKI Zion (Parma Calcio 1913) in goal and a back line consisting of ITAKURA Kou (Borussia MG), TANIGUCHI Shogo (Sint-Truidense VV) and MACHIDA Koki (Royale Union Saint-Gilloise). ENDO Wataru (Liverpool FC) and MORITA Hidemasa (Sporting CP) anchored the midfield, while DOAN Ritsu (SC Freiburg) and MITOMA Kaoru (Brighton & Hove Albion FC) were deployed on the flanks. KUBO Takefusa (Real Sociedad) and MINAMINO Takumi (AS Monaco) were the two centre midfielders, while UEDA Ayase (Feyenoord) was the lone striker up front.

In the early stages of the match, Japan sought to exploit the left flank by collecting the ball to Mitoma. This approach resulted in the opening goal in the 12th minute, when Endo converted a corner kick from the left delivered by Kubo, placing Japan in the lead.

China PR, aiming to qualify for their first World Cup since 2002, are coached by Branko IVANKOVIC, who previously led Oman to victory over Japan in the first match of the final round of the previous Asian qualifiers. The team has opted for a 4-4-2 formation, with XIE Wenneng and XU Haoyang positioned to exploit opportunities from the flanks. Japan, however, demonstrated remarkable composure and defensive transitions to maintain control of the game and prevent the visitors from gaining ground.

Japan dominated the first half and doubled their lead on the stroke of half-time when Doan's pinpoint cross from the right flank found Mitoma, who headed the ball into the net from close range.

In an attempt to rally back, China PR started the second half with a three-back formation to strengthen their midfield.

However, as Minamino later reflected, “It allowed us to move more freely,” the change in strategy enabled Japan to exert greater pressure and embark on a series of successful goal-scoring opportunities in the second half. Japan’s goal-spree started with Minamino's goal in the 52nd minute, which saw the midfielder execute a pass-and-go with Mitoma on the left before cutting into the box and curling a shot into the far corner. Six minutes later, Ueda posted up to receive the ball from Machida, creating an opportunity for Minamino to break into the box and score his second goal of the match with a right-footed shot.

Both teams made changes after the hour mark, with China PR bringing on three attacking players in the 61st minute, including Brazil natives A Lan and FEI Nanduo, followed by the introduction of ITO Junya (Stade de Reims) and MAEDA Daizen (Celtic FC) in the 63rd minute. TAKAI Kota (Kawasaki Frontale) made his senior debut in the 71st minute, coming off the bench alongside TANAKA Ao (Leeds United).

With fresh legs coming off the bench, Japan added a fifth in the 77th minute when Ito, making his first appearance since the AFC Asian Cup in January, scored from Kubo's assist to the delight of the 52,398 fans who chanted his name.

Ito went onto assist Maeda's goal in the 87th minute before setting up Kubo in additional time to cap off Japan's 7-0 victory.

This was the first time Japan scored seven goals in the final round of the Asian qualifiers, with the previous record being six goals scored in September 1997 against Uzbekistan and June 2012 against Jordan, both at Japan National Stadium.

Elsewhere in Group C, Japan's next opponents Bahrain won 1-0 away to Australia, while Saudi Arabia drew 1-1 at home to Indonesia.

As a result, Japan top Group C after the first round of matches, level on three points with Bahrain but ahead on goal difference, followed by Saudi Arabia and Indonesia on one point and Australia and China PR without a point.

AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 winners Qatar are bottom of Group A after losing 1-3 at home to UAE, who now top the group. Iran and Uzbekistan won 1-0 at home to Kyrgyz Republic and DPR Korea respectively. In Group B, Iraq topped Group B with a 1-0 win over Oman, while Jordan drew 1-1 at home to Kuwait and Korea Republic drew 0-0 at home to Palestine.

In 2026, the World Cup will be co-hosted by Canada, the USA and Mexico, with the number of competing teams increasing from 32 to 48 and the number of slots allocated to Asia increasing from 4.5 to 8.5. The final round of Asian qualifiers will run until June next year and will be played in three groups of six teams each. The top two finishers in each group will automatically qualify for the World Cup, while the third and fourth finishers will be given another opportunity to compete via the Asian Play-offs or the FIFA Play-off Tournament.

Japan's next match is away to Bahrain on Tuesday 10 September (Wednesday 11 September, Japan time).

Coaches and Players' Comments

MORIYASU Hajime, Head Coach of SAMURAI BLUE (Japan National Team)
I believe this result was achieved because the players recognised the importance and difficulty of the opening match of the final round of the Asian qualifiers and prepared accordingly. It was also significant that the team, including the staff, all worked diligently to get off to a good start, addressing the challenges presented during the two preparation periods and training sessions. To avoid repeating the same mistakes we made last time, I think it was good that we were able to go over our approach in our meetings and also practise it on the pitch to keep everyone on the same page, both offensively and defensively. In terms of the back three formation, we tried to build on what we had been working on since June and play the players according to their conditions. Although we expected a relatively close contest, the final score was more lopsided, but the first goal we scored from a set-piece proved to be a crucial turning point, so we will continue to prepare more variations for future matches. The victory was made possible by the many fans who turned up at Saitama Stadium to support the players in person. The competition will be tougher from now on, but we will fight as a team and deliver victories to all our supporters. I would like to thank all the fans for their continued support and cooperation.

DF #3 TANIGUCHI Shogo (Sint-Truidense VV/Belgium)
I am delighted that we have made a flying start and that our hard work and dedication has paid off. Knowing how poorly the team had performed in the opening matches of the recent final qualifying rounds, we all prepared with a sense of urgency and a strong determination not to make the same mistakes, which allowed us to go into the game with great concentration at both ends of the pitch. One of my tasks for this game was to decide how far we wanted to draw the opponents out before we launched our attacks, and I feel I did a good job of that today. I will continue to communicate with my teammates to make the most of this experience and strive for higher standards.

MF/FW #6 ENDO Wataru (Liverpool FC/England)
We were confident that we could win this match as long as we played our usual game, so we tried not to think about what happened last time and just go through our usual pre-match routine. It was good that we were able to stay relaxed while preparing with a sense of urgency. My goal came from a set-piece that we had prepared. It was great that we were able to maintain our aggression to score more goals and keep a clean sheet at the same time. We knew that once we scored the first goal, we would find our rhythm. The fact that we were able to use the space behind our opponents, who were pressing for an equaliser, led to the second goal and more.

MF/FW #7 MITOMA Kaoru (Brighton & Hove Albion FC/England)
We expected our opponents to sit back and defend, so I thought we would need ideas to break down their defence. However, it turned out that they came out with a lot of pressure from their front line, so the experience of making adjustments and coming up with ideas on the fly gave us a valuable opportunity for future games. (Reflecting on his goal) It was a situation I had to capitalise on. Physically, I am in good form at the moment, especially with my coach (at Brighton) setting higher standards for me, and I feel that was reflected in this game. The fact that so many players got on the scoresheet shows the strength of this team. The competition will only get tougher from now on, so we will continue to do our best to win every game.

MF/FW #8 MINAMINO Takumi (AS Monaco/France)
Including myself, the players who participated in the previous qualifiers, where we lost our first match of the final round, shared their experiences to emphasise the significance of securing a win in the opening match. This may have contributed to the team demonstrating great concentration throughout the entire match and I personally felt that I was able to find my rhythm early on. Facing opponents with a solid block set in the middle, we focused on exploiting the space we created, as well as making quick transitions after losing possession. We created many opportunities in the first half and our efforts really came to fruition in the second half. I am happy with today's performance, both as a team and as an individual. Knowing how physical and technical they are, we were very wary of their long balls and one-on-one situations. Although we were able to show our dominance with every goal we scored in the game, we are fully aware of their potential, especially when playing at home, so we will not let this result fool us in the second leg away from home.

MF/FW #14 ITO Junya (Stade de Reims/France)
The goal was the result of a deflection, so I feel lucky to have scored it. The applause and chanting from the crowd was very motivating and I was really moved by it. It really made me want to score. I was ready to celebrate when I scored, but I was already surrounded by my teammates and it was great to celebrate with the team, including the players on the bench and the coaching staff. We were playing with a great vibe when I came on, so I tried to play in flow with the positive momentum. It felt like I was on the same page with everyone and the assist to Maeda turned out just the way I envisioned. The assist to Kubo was fortunate because I was thinking about taking a shot myself, but as it was from a tight angle, I thought I would just let Kubo take it instead. I have been through some difficult times, but by performing well for my club and keeping in touch with the national team, I have been able to concentrate on this final round of the Asian qualifiers. I will continue to focus on what I can contribute to the team.

Branko IVANKOVIC, Head Coach of China PR National Team
I would like to extend my congratulations to Japan on their victory. As previously stated, the match presented a significant challenge for our team. Japan is not only one of the top teams in Asia, but also a world-class competitor. It was a challenging night for any coach to face a team of that calibre. We had a defensive strategy in place, but ultimately conceded a considerable number of goals. We must make the most of this experience and try to prepare well for our upcoming fixtures.

AFC Asian Qualifiers - Road To 26

Fixture: SAMURAI BLUE vs China PR National Team
Date: Thu. 5 September 2024, 19:35
Venue: Saitama Stadium 2002 (Saitama)
Tournament information