ABU DHABI: Maya Yoshida believes winning a fifth Asian Cup would be a major step forward for Japanese football and a young team still finding its feet on the international stage, the Japan captain said.
The Southampton defender is the experienced heart of a youthful side that coach Hajjime Moriyasu has put together since he took over in the wake of Japan’s round of 16 exit from last year’s World Cup.
The success of the campaign in Russia combined with a victory over Qatar at Zayed Sports City would give the Blue Samurai a major profile boost back home, the 30-year-old Yoshida said.
“If we can get a result here it will get us more attention back home and it will affect the sports culture in Japan,” he said.
“I really want to win this fifth title for Japan because we’re such a good group under a great coach and with great team mates and I want to spend more time with these teammates.
“Now that the team is changing to a new generation, if we can get the title here it’s going to be a big step forward for Japan football.”
Moriyasu said that, while wary of the threat Qatar pose, his team would look to play their own game, which, after an underwhelming start to the tournament, they showcased in an impressive 3-0 win over Iran in the semifinals.
“We are aware Qatar are a very strong team, that they have scored 16 goals and kept clean sheets all the way through, but no matter how they play we will stay the same,” he said.
“We will analyze them and then we will express our best on the field. We are also a team that has reached the final, so I want the players to be confident because of that.
“We have been developing as a team throughout each game and I want us to show that development on the field tomorrow.
“I expect both teams to play with 100 percent effort and with fair play and make a good game and show the whole world how we play. That would make another step, not only for Japan, but for Asian football.”
Maya Yoshida tells Japan to win fifth Asian Cup to lay down marker for the future
Maya Yoshida tells Japan to win fifth Asian Cup to lay down marker for the future
- Blue Samurai skipper wants young side to prove they have guts as well as flair in final against Qatar.
- Japan beat Iran 3-0 to reach showdown against Qatar.
Sanders crashes out of Dakar Rally contention and Al-Attiyah reclaims car lead
- The Australian’s KTM finished 28 minutes behind stage 10 winner Adrien van Beveren’s Honda
- Al-Attiyah has a sixth Dakar triumph in sight
BISHA, Saudi Arabia: Dakar Rally front-runner Daniel Sanders crashed and fell out of motorbike title contention and Nasser Al-Attiyah snatched back the car lead in the Saudi desert on Wednesday.
Sanders broke his left collarbone and sternum jumping a dune 138 kilometers into the 368-kilometer second half of a marathon stage to Bisha. The defending champion continued but slower and within 30 kilometers his six-minute overnight lead was gone.
The Australian’s KTM finished 28 minutes behind stage 10 winner Adrien van Beveren’s Honda and he dropped from first overall to fourth, more than 17 minutes back, two minutes off the podium.
That left the title to be decided between new leader Ricky Brabec and Luciano Benavides, second and third on the stage. The American’s Honda and Argentine’s KTM were separated overall by 56 seconds ahead of, effectively, a two stage shootout. The final stage on Saturday is usually a ceremonial ride.
Brabec won the Dakar in 2020 and 2024 while Benavides has never won; best placing was fourth last year.
Al-Attiyah has a sixth Dakar triumph in sight.
The dunes specialist from Qatar stamped his authority on the sandy special to finish second to Mathieu Serradori, who gave South African manufacturer Century its first Dakar stage win.
Serradori won his second career stage by six minutes.
The Fords of Nani Roma (first overnight), Carlos Sainz (second) and Mattias Ekström (fifth) were the biggest losers.
Ekström was first to the checkpoint at 91 kilometers but moments later suffered a mechanical problem. Roma lost his way and dropped 10 minutes just before passing 200 kilometers. Sainz also made a navigation error in the soft sand.
“I’m knackered, my back hurts, I suffered a lot today,” Roma said. “But that’s part of the game.”
Also, Toyota’s Henk Lategan, fourth overnight, ran out of fuel and made a navigation error.
Al-Attiyah grabbed the provisional overall lead about 200 kilometers into the 420-kilometer special and topped a Dacia 2-3-4 stage finish with Sébastien Loeb and Lucas Moraes.
“My head and body have taken a real beating,” Al-Attiyah said. “But we really attacked from start to finish. Fabian (Lurquin, navigator) did a great job and we can feel both happy and lucky because it was really hard.”
Overall, Al-Attiyah earned his biggest lead yet, over Lategan by 12 minutes, Roma by nearly 13 and Loeb by 23. Ekström and Sainz fell more than 34 minutes back.
