On Thursday 20 March, SAMURAI BLUE (Japan National Team) played their seventh match in the final round of the FIFA World Cup 26™ Asian qualifiers at Saitama Stadium 2002, where they defeated the Bahrain National Team 2-0, thanks to the goals from KAMADA Daichi (Crystal Palace) and KUBO Takefusa (Real Sociedad). The victory took Japan's tally to 19 points and ensured at least a top-two finish in Group C, taking them to an eighth consecutive FIFA World Cup™ with three games remaining.

Japan went into the match with a record of five wins and one draw, which gave them a 10-point lead over the third-placed team and meant that a win would guarantee them at least second place in their group and automatic qualification for the World Cup.

For this match, head coach MORIYASU Hajime named SUZUKI Zion (Parma Calcio 1913) in goal, with a backline of ITAKURA Kou (Borussia MG), ITO Hiroki (Bayern Munich), and SEKO Ayumu (Grasshopper Club Zurich). MORITA Hidemasa (Sporting CP) and ENDO Wataru (Liverpool FC) anchored the midfield while MITOMA Kaoru (Brighton & Hove Albion FC) and DOAN Ritsu (SC Freiburg) were deployed on the flanks. UEDA Ayase (Feyenoord) started as the central striker while Kubo and MINAMINO Takumi (AS Monaco) played as attacking midfielders.

Japan, who won the first leg 5-0 away in September, took the initiative from the outset and won a corner in the ninth minute from which Endo scored, only for the goal to be disallowed following a VAR decision that there had been a handball in the build-up.

Sitting level on six points with the third-placed team going into the match, Bahrain, who are chasing their first ever World Cup qualification, looked for chances with their solid defence and sharp counterattacks from the flanks.

The first half saw Japan trying to create chances through the individual efforts of Mitoma, Kubo, and Minamino, while also utilising long balls to exploit the space behind the Bahrain defence, but couldn’t seem to find their rhythm, as they were held scoreless in the first half.

In an attempt to change the dynamic of the game, coach Moriyasu brought on TANAKA Ao (Leeds United) at the start of the second half, followed by the introduction of Kamada and ITO Junya (Stade de Reims) in the 63rd minute, which paid just three minutes later.

Japan's long-awaited moment came in the 66th minute when Ueda collected a pass from Ito on the halfway line and played a through-ball to Kubo, whose final pass set up Kamada for a one-on-one with the goalkeeper, and the attacking midfielder calmly slotted home with his right foot to send the 58,137 in attendance into a frenzy.

Bahrain, pursuing an equaliser, created opportunities through their offensive play, spearheaded by Mahdi Faisal Alhumaidan and Husain Abdulkarim Abdulaziz. In the 79th minute, Abdulla Sultan Alkhalasi connected with a free kick, but his header was saved by Suzuki.

The introduction of NAKAMURA Keito (Stade de Reims) in the 76th minute, followed by MACHINO Shuto (Holstein Kiel) in the 86th minute, gave Japan more attacking options and fresh legs in the attacking third, which earned them a corner kick in the 87th minute.

It was from this corner that Japan scored their second goal when Kubo played a short corner to Ito, who quickly returned the ball to Kubo. The winger swiftly cut inside the penalty area on the left before unleashing a pinpoint shot that beat the goalkeeper and found the narrow opening at the near post to double Japan's lead.

With their defence keeping a clean sheet, Japan increased their tally to 19 points and secured their place at the World Cup. Their qualification with three games to spare was the fastest since Japan's first appearance at the 1998 FIFA World Cup France™, and they were the first non-host nation to qualify.

Speaking at the post-match ceremony to celebrate their qualification, coach Moriyasu said: “Congratulations to everyone for qualifying for the World Cup. The players who fought hard are the heroes, but they couldn't have done it without your support. While we celebrate this moment with everyone, we will continue to work hard to improve.”

Captain Endo also expressed his gratitude to the fans and supporters, saying “Thank you for your support,” before reiterating his determination: “We are happy to have qualified, but our goal is to win the World Cup, so we won't be satisfied with this result. We will prepare well for the next game against Saudi Arabia and strive to make the best possible start to the World Cup. The ceremony ended with a powerful final word from NAGATOMO Yuto (FC Tokyo): “Bravo, everyone!”

SAMURAI BLUE will now face Saudi Arabia at the same stadium on Tuesday 25 March.

Elsewhere in Group C, second-placed Australia beat Indonesia 5-1 at home to take their tally to 10 points, while Saudi Arabia also beat China PR 1-0 at home to move up to third on nine points. Indonesia dropped to fourth, level on six points with Bahrain in fifth and China PR in sixth.

The top two finishers in each group in the AFC Asian Qualifiers will qualify automatically for the FIFA World Cup 26™, while the third and fourth placed teams will go through to the play-offs to qualify.

The FIFA World Cup 26™ will be co-hosted by Canada, Mexico and the USA and will kick off on 11 June next year, with the draw for the tournament's group matches scheduled for December this year.

Coaches and Players' Comments

MORIYASU Hajime, Head Coach of SAMURAI BLUE (Japan National Team)
It's thanks to everyone's support that we've been able to get through the tough qualifiers, including today's game. We told the players before the game that it was going to be a challenging match because Bahrain had had more time to prepare for the game and that they would undoubtedly be well rested and well prepared both in terms of fitness and tactical approaches when they faced us. Although we didn't play the kind of football we had hoped for in the first half, the players showed great patience and tenacity to keep the opponents at bay. It was only because we were able to fight as a team to the end that we were able to win this game. The starters gave their all before handing the baton over to the substitutes and it felt like the players really showed what it means to win a game with a total team effort. We were determined to qualify for the World Cup by winning today's game, so every time I sent the players out on the pitch, I kept telling them, “Let's win and qualify!” The players gave their all in every game with the aim of winning and qualifying for the World Cup. I felt they were aware that each victory would not only lead to the next, but also to their own development and ultimately help us achieve our goal of winning the World Cup.

DF #21 ITO Hiroki (Bayern Munich/Germany)
We knew that Bahrain had held a training camp in preparation for this game and it was difficult to play against a solid team like them, so we are just happy to have won and qualified for the World Cup. We still have three games left in the qualifiers and I am sure there will be more friendlies to come, so we hope to make the most of them to improve ourselves ahead of the World Cup. (On the pass that led to the first goal) I had to get away from two players, so it was a gamble, but I was able to get the ball up and pass to Ueda, who did a great job of dropping back and turning under pressure.

MF/FW #6 ENDO Wataru (Liverpool FC/England)
We are aware that this is just the beginning, not the end. But I am happy that we have qualified for the World Cup. This was a game that decided our qualification for the World Cup, so I wanted to reiterate not only to the players but also to the fans that our ultimate goal is to win the World Cup. Personally, I didn't try to think too much about the fact that winning this game would secure our place at the World Cup, but we knew that Bahrain wouldn't go down without putting up a good fight. The fact that we were fully prepared for it was a positive thing. Although we didn't play well in the first half, I kept telling the defenders that we just had to be patient and try to keep a clean sheet. We looked a bit stiff today, but it was good that we were able to adjust in the second half.

MF/FW #7 MITOMA Kaoru (Brighton & Hove Albion FC/England)
Coming into this home series, we really wanted to book our place in the World Cup in our first game, especially knowing that we had to play Saudi Arabia in our second. It was such a relief when we won, but the match also reminded us that we still have a lot to improve on. Although we wanted to possess the ball longer, we decided to be patient and concentrate on our defence while our opponents had the momentum in the first half, which turned out to be a good decision. Japan are now expected to qualify for the World Cup and we are fully aware of that expectation. But we also know how hard it is to get through the Asian qualifiers. It may look easy from the outside, but we want you to know that it has not been an easy task, and we have given everything we have to win every game.

MF/FW #10 DOAN Ritsu (SC Freiburg/Germany)
We were feeling the pressure, so I am relieved to have qualified for the World Cup. It may have looked like a walk in the park from the outside, but the players knew it wasn't going to be easy, especially after our loss in the Asian Cup and how we lost in the first game of the Asian qualifiers for the last tournament, so it felt like a weight had been lifted off our shoulders. With our opponents pressing high up the pitch, we wanted to put them on the back foot by utilising long balls and get Itakura up to the halfway line. We managed to do that once our opponents got tired in the second half, but it would have been better if we could have initiated that situation earlier on in the game.

MF/FW #15 KAMADA Daichi (Crystal Palace/England)
It was a very difficult game, but it was great that everyone did what they were asked to do, which allowed us to keep a clean sheet in the toughest moments of the game. The goal came from a play in which Ueda did a great job of securing the ball, allowing Kubo and I to run into space, and Kubo delivered a perfect pass that I just had to make good contact with the ball. Qualifying for the World Cup is no easy task, so we had to give it our all. All games in the final round were tough and the scoreline does not necessarily reflect how difficult they were, including the long trip from Europe, the time difference, and other factors. I truly believe that this is a team that can really work well together as a team.

MF/FW #20 KUBO Takefusa (Real Sociedad/Spain)
It was a tough game from the first half. They were riding the momentum of winning the Arabian Gulf Cup, but we were able to be patient when we needed to be and make the right moves when it counted, and I thought we put in a strong performance. I was ecstatic when I scored the goal and also very relieved to have qualified for the World Cup in front of our fans and supporters.

Dragan TALAJIC, Head Coach of Bahrain National Team
I would like to congratulate Japan on their qualification for the World Cup. I was anticipating a victory that would secure us three points, so I am disappointed with this outcome. I think we put up a better fight than last time (in September), but it wasn't enough to win. Japan have brought together players with amazing abilities to form a great team, and I think they will achieve great results at the World Cup. We will do our best in the remaining three games and hope to join Japan at the World Cup.

AFC Asian Qualifiers - Road To 26

Fixture: SAMURAI BLUE vs Bahrain National Team
Date: Thu. 20 March 2025, 19:35
Venue: Saitama Stadium 2002 (Saitama)
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