On Thursday 7 November, SAMURAI BLUE (Japan National Team) head coach MORIYASU Hajime announced his squad for the upcoming away matches against Indonesia (11/15＠Jakarta) and China PR (11/19＠Xiamen) in the FIFA World Cup 26™ AFC Asian Qualifiers. The coach shared his aspiration to “give our all to make forward progress.”

Japan, who are bidding to qualify for their eighth consecutive FIFA World Cup™, currently top Group C with three wins and a draw. With the qualifying round now at the halfway stage, the points from these two away games will certainly help them in their quest for automatic qualification to the tournament, which goes to the top two teams in the group.

The 27-man squad selected for the final team activity of the year was largely made up of players who took part in the October series of matches, including MITOMA Kaoru (Brighton & Hove Albion FC), ITO Junya (Stade de Reims), DOAN Ritsu (SC Freiburg) and KUBO Takefusa (Real Sociedad).

FURUHASHI Kyogo (Celtic FC), who has been in fine form for his club with six goals in 15 appearances this season, returned to SAMURAI BLUE for the first time since October 2023, while HASHIOKA Daiki (Luton Town) made his return since June this year.

OHASHI Yuki (Blackburn Rovers), who was called up for the first time, and FUJITA Joel Chima (Sint-Truidense VV), who returned to the senior squad for the first time since July 2022, were once again called up, while TAKAI Kota (Kawasaki Frontale), who was sidelined with an injury sustained in a league match before the two October matches, also returned to the squad.

When asked about Furuhashi, coach Moriyasu said: “He has produced results with Celtic and in Europe and has a presence that can help the team win.”

Speaking about the differences in style between Furuhashi and other strikers such as Feyenoord's UEDA Ayase, who has been ruled out through injury, the coach outlined his expectations, saying: “The things that each player brings to the table can be different, but the way we approach the game, and our team concept will not change. I want each player to bring their own strengths and show what they can do.”

Their opponents, Indonesia, are fifth in their group with three draws and one defeat, while China PR are sixth with one win and three defeats. Indonesia are 130th in the FIFA Ranking, while China PR are 92nd, but coach Moriyasu is not fooled by the numbers.

Indonesia have been working hard to strengthen their squad under Korea Republic-born coach SHIN Tae-yong, who has brought in many naturalised players who play in European leagues, and coach Moriyasu believes that “they are strengthening in a wonderful way and gaining strength like never before.” Despite their first defeat, a 1-2 away loss to China PR, they had previously held their own against the top teams in their group, drawing 1-1 away to Saudi Arabia, 0-0 at home to Australia and 2-2 away to Bahrain.

“Looking at the FIFA rankings, many people might think that Japan have an overwhelming advantage, but we are expecting tough battles away from home,” said coach Moriyasu, as the Japanese general touched on the difficulty of adjusting to the change in climate and playing in a hostile away environment, but also shared his desire, saying: “We want to win these two tough matches so that we can make steady progress towards our goal of advancing through the final round of qualifying.”

The team have been given an extra day to prepare for the match against Indonesia, giving them a chance to get used to the surroundings and more opportunities for training and meetings, as coach Moriyasu explained: “It allows us to go into the game in a better condition. I want to explain our tactics and roles in more detail so that the players can play with more confidence.”

The team will begin training in Indonesia on Monday 11 November before taking on the Indonesia National Team at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta on Friday 15 November. The match against China PR will take place on Tuesday 19 November at Xiamen Egret Stadium in Xiamen.

Comments

MORIYASU Hajime, Head Coach of SAMURAI BLUE (Japan National Team)
The two away games against Indonesia and China PR will be tough, but we will do our best to win both. The expansion of the number of qualifying spots for the tournament from the FIFA World Cup 26™ has prompted countries to bolster their teams in order to qualify for the tournament. The increased opportunity has transformed the tournament from a mere aspiration into a tangible goal for many nations. Indonesia are one of those nations that are definitely making great strides and are gaining strength like never before. They have naturalised a number of players with roots in the country and most of them are strong players who play in Europe. We are prepared for a tough battle, but we want to outdo them. Indonesia also have passionate supporters who will give them a huge boost, so we will be mentally prepared for the possibility of them playing more aggressively.

This time we have an extra day to prepare for the match against Indonesia, but there will be one less day for the second match. But if we can use the extra day to get the players on the same page and have a common understanding of how we want to play as a team, then we will be well prepared for the second match. There is a big difference in temperature and climate between Indonesia, Europe and Japan. Having more time to adapt to the local environment will help us be in better shape, and an extra training session and meeting will help us communicate our concepts and roles for the match more effectively. We want to make the most of the extra day so that the players can play with more confidence.

Furuhashi has produced results with Celtic and in Europe and has a presence that can help the team win. He is a talented goal scorer, and I want him to show what he has done for his club, including the way he initiates attacks and the way he defends from the front. The things that each player brings to the table may be different, but the way we approach the game, and our team concept will not change. I want each player to bring their own strengths and show what they can do. We want to win these two tough matches so that we can make steady progress towards our goal of advancing through the final round of qualifying.

YAMAMOTO Masakuni, JFA National Team Director
The final round of the AFC Asian Qualifiers will reach its halfway point with the completion of the two remaining matches scheduled for this year. We hope to end 2024 on a high note and put on a performance that will inspire optimism for next year. The series of away matches will involve lengthy travel, and the team will be competing in a challenging environment. It is our intention to give them every possible support to perform at their best. This is a valuable opportunity for many people to see the team through the media. We hope to put on a spectacular performance to end the year on a high note.

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