On Sunday 2 July, the championship match of the AFC U17 Asian Cup™ Thailand 2023 took place at Pathum Thani Stadium, where the U-17 Japan National Team squared off against the U-17 Korea Republic National Team.

As Head Coach MORIYAMA Yoshiro commented, “Not only were we able to qualify for the World Cup, but we were also able to conserve our energy for this final,” the Japanese side was able to reach the final without a single injury and enter the decisive match in their best condition.

Five changes were made to their starting line-up from the semi-finals, as GOTO Wataru (FC Tokyo U-18) was given the start between the sticks, with KOSUGI Keita (Shonan Bellmare U-18), TSUCHIYA Kaito (Kawasaki Frontale U-18), HONDA Kotaro (Shonan Bellmare U-18), and SHIBATA Shotaro (Kawasaki Frontale U-18) forming the four-man defence line. YADA Ryunosuke (Shimizu S-Pulse Youth) and NAKAJIMA Yotaro (Sanfrecce Hiroshima Youth) were named as central midfielders, with YOSHINAGA Yumeki (Kamimura Gakuen High School) and SATO Ryunosuke (FC Tokyo U-18) positioned in the flanks. It was MICHIWAKI Yutaka (Roasso Kumamoto) and NAWATA Gaku (Kamimura Gakuen High School) who were given the start as the two strikers upfront.

The final, which will determine the Asian champions of the U-17 generation, was packed with local Korean and Japanese fans, creating a unique atmosphere that fuelled the players to play with even more energy.

The match turned into a stalemate from the get-go, as Kosugi later recalled, “It was a very difficult match from the outset.” Korea Republic had one of their biggest opportunities of the match in the 38th minute, but Japanese goalkeeper Goto made a huge save to deny a one-on-one situation.

The decisive moment arrived in the 44th minute when Korean defender KO Jong-Hyun was dismissed from the game after collecting his second yellow card. To add insult to injury, Nawata then scored on the ensuing free kick to give Japan the lead.

“We tried not to think that we were in the lead and stick with the same approach as the first half,” said Nawata, as Japan effectively utilised their numerical advantage to create more and more opportunities in the second half.

With momentum on their side, Japan scored their second goal in the 66th minute, when MOCHIZUKI Kohei (Yokohama F. Marinos Youth) delivered a pass to setup the goal of Nawata, who later recalled, “I was able to keep my cool and see where the goalkeeper was.”

As Goto noted after the game, "Everybody on the pitch was determined to defend our goal," the Japanese defenders displayed persistent efforts to maintain the clean sheet despite the late push made by Korea Republic.

Michiwaki put the icing on the cake by scoring the third goal during additional time of the second half, as Japan won the match 3-0.

“Korea Republic was a wonderful team, but our players displayed great improvements over the course of the tournament,” said coach Moriyama, as Japan became the first ever country to win consecutive titles at the AFC U17 Asian Cup™.

Coach and Players' Comments

MORIYAMA Yoshiro, Head Coach
After seeing how the players trained yesterday, I was confident that we could win. We were in great condition, both physically and mentally. The biggest factor for this victory was the dedication shown by the players to maintain their peak condition both on and off the pitch. The coaching and technical staff also did a fantastic job, and all I had to do was listen to what they had to say.

GK #1 GOTO Wataru (FC Tokyo U-18)
I tried not to worry too much about the rain, as there was no point in being negative about it. I knew that at some point in the match the opponents would create a close opportunity, and I thought the match could be decided by whether I stop them or not, so it was great that I was able to stop them. We had a wonderful goalkeeping team. They were very supportive and always encouraged me when I was on the pitch. I was able to win the Best Goalkeeper Award thanks to the dedicated efforts made by our defenders.

DF #3 KOSUGI Keita (Shonan Bellmare U-18)
I am very happy. We struggled early on and nearly allowed our opponents to score from a mistake we made during our buildups. The fact that we were able to endure the tough times without conceding was key to our victory. I feel like I was able to showcase my determination to keep a clean sheet today.

FW #14 NAWATA Gaku (Kamimura Gakuen High School)
I was aiming to become the top scorer, but I wasn’t expecting to be named MVP, so I am thrilled. I think the entire team was committed for this match and really showed our determination to win each and every battle on the pitch today. I was able to keep my cool when I scored the goals. I regretted the fact that I didn’t take the free kicks in the semi-finals, so I was determined to take it myself today. This is a great team that consists of players who can devote themselves for the team.

YouTube(AFC):#AFCU17 - Final | Korea Republic 0 - 3 Japan
YouTube(AFC):#AFCU17 Japan is the New Champion!

AFC U17 Asian Cup™ Thailand 2023

Tournament Dates: Thu. 15 June - Sun. 2 July 2023

Tournament Information