AFP – Captain Wataru Endo has urged Japan to use the frustration of their failed Asian Cup campaign to fire them to the 2026 World Cup, starting against China today.
Japan are the continent’s highest-ranked side but the favourites flopped at the Asian Cup in Qatar at the start of the year, losing to Iran in the quarter-finals.
They also made hard work of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, opening the third round with a shock home defeat to Oman and losing early on away to Saudi Arabia.
Japan kick off the third qualifying round for the 2026 World Cup against China in Saitama and Liverpool midfielder Endo believes they have the quality to make a strong start.
“We remember losing the opening game of the World Cup qualifiers last time and we also have the frustration from the Asian Cup,” said Endo, who was linked with a move away from Anfield during the summer.
“We know it’s not easy, but we don’t want to concentrate too much on negative things. We want to be positive.”
Japan have also been drawn with Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia and Australia in a tricky-looking Group ‘C’.
The top two are guaranteed a place at the World Cup, with the third and fourth-placed sides going into a further round of qualifying.
Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu welcomes back Brighton winger Kaoru Mitoma, who has not played for his country since the Asian Cup because of injury.
Moriyasu can also call on winger Junya Ito, who has not featured since he left the Asian Cup squad after a Japanese magazine published allegations that he sexually assaulted two women in a hotel in Osaka last year.
Japanese prosecutors dropped charges against the player earlier this month and he has denied any wrongdoing.
“Both of them are big weapons for the Japan team, no doubt about it,” said Moriyasu.
“But it’s not just their qualities in attack. They also defend well and work hard for the team.”
China squeezed into the third qualifying round thanks to a superior head-to-head record over Thailand and have only reached the World Cup once, in 2002.
Their Croatian coach Branko Ivankovic acknowledged that Japan were one of the best teams in Asia but said “everything is possible”.
“I think the most important thing is whether we can play the way we have been playing in training,” he said.
“We need to have a brave heart in this game.”
