NARITA, Japan: Japan will put their World Cup heartbreak behind them and focus on becoming Asian champions for a fifth time, captain Maya Yoshida said after the team returned home on Wednesday.
The Blue Samurai were eliminated from the World Cup on penalties by Croatia in the last 16 on Monday, denying them a first-ever place in the quarter-finals.
But the defeat did not stop hundreds of fans from traveling to an airport near Tokyo to welcome the players and coach Hajjime Moriyasu back from Qatar.
“We won’t stop here,” Yoshida said at a news conference after arriving.
“We will aim to become the best in Asia,” he added.
“Our fight will continue. As long as we keep playing football, we must keep fighting.”
The Asian Cup will also be held in Qatar after original host China dropped out due to its strict anti-Covid policies.
The tournament was set to be held in June and July 2023 but is now likely to be postponed until early 2024 to avoid Qatar’s fierce summer heat.
Japan won the most recent of their four Asian Cup titles the last time Qatar hosted the tournament, in 2011.
The Blue Samurai could not find a way past Croatia in the last 16 of the World Cup, but they stunned former champions Germany and Spain to top their first-round group.
“We couldn’t reach new heights but my players showed us a new era, and this is just the beginning,” said Moriyasu.
Among the crowd of fans waiting to welcome the team home at the airport was 55-year-old Takamichi Masui.
He said the wins over Germany and Spain were proof that “Japan has become a soccer powerhouse.”
Another fan, 37-year-old Takahiro Ichikawa, said that like captain Yoshida, he is only looking ahead.
“For now, I hope the national team will focus on pulling off a solid performance in the Asian Cup in Qatar,” he said.
Japan target fifth Asian title after World Cup heartbreak
https://arab.news/m4j8y
Japan target fifth Asian title after World Cup heartbreak
- The Blue Samurai were eliminated from the World Cup on penalties by Croatia
- The defeat did not stop hundreds of fans from travelling to an airport near Tokyo to welcome the players and coach Hajime Moriyasu
Saudi Arabia edge Kyrgyzstan 1-0 in AFC U23 Asian Cup opener
- Al-Nassr’s Rakan Al-Ghamdi struck in the 88th minute as 2022 champions Saudi Arabia got off to a winning start
JEDDAH: Rakan Al-Ghamdi struck late as Saudi Arabia edged a plucky Kyrgyzstan 1-0 in their AFC U23 Asian Cup Group A opener on Tuesday.
Debutants Kyrgyzstan, reduced to 10 men in the 34th minute, looked on course for a point after goalkeeper Kurmanbek Nurlanbekov had saved Musab Al-Juwayr’s penalty but Al-Nassr’s Al-Ghamdi struck in the 88th minute as 2022 champions Saudi Arabia got off to a winning start.
Both sides went on the offensive from the start with Saudi Arabia’s Abdullah Radif sending his effort from outside the box high as early as the second minute, while Beknaz Almazbekov had his shot from distance blocked two minutes later.
The hosts began to assert their dominance before suffering a setback in the 13th minute when captain Abdullah Radif was subbed off due to injury with Majed Abdullah taking his place.
However, his absence failed to deter the 2022 champions’ resolve as they almost took the lead in the 15th minute after Abdullah pounced on a stray pass from Anton Polev, only to see his low drive from inside the box saved by Nurlanbekov.
The Central Asian side’s exuberance suffered a dent in the 34th minute when Arsen Sharshenbekov received his marching orders for stamping Abdulaziz Al-Elewai’s ankle, following a VAR review.
Saudi Arabia, however, failed to trouble Nurlanbekov despite the numerical advantage with Kyrgyzstan still very much in the game going into the break.
Nurlanbekov continued to frustrate Saudi Arabia in the second half with the FC Dordoi Bishkek keeper foiling Faris Al-Ghamdi from distance in the 48th minute before keeping out Al-Ghamdi’s stinging shot from outside the box.
Saudi Arabia almost found the opener just after the hour mark when Yaseen Al-Zubaidi and Abdulaziz Al-Elewai exchanged passes with the latter breaking into the box, only to see his shot from a difficult angle closed down by Nurlanbekov.
Spurred on by their passionate home support, Saudi Arabia’s pressure earned them a penalty in the 74th minute after Arslan Bekberdinov’s handball but Nurlanbekov judged correctly to deny Al-Juwayr from the spot with his outstretched right-handed save.
Saudi Arabia finally found a way through in the 88th minute after Al-Juwayr’s clever pass found Al-Ghamdi, who rifled his shot past Nurlanbekov to seal the victory.
Saudi Arabia will meet Jordan on Friday while Kyrgyzstan will aim to bounce back against Vietnam.
