Yesterday (January 5), the Japanese national team arrived in Qatar to prepare for the 2023 Asian Cup. As soon as he arrived in Qatar, the Japanese national team coach, Hajime Moriyasu, spoke to the media.
When asked about whether Japan's ambition is to win the championship, coach Moriyasu said: "Yes, we are fighting to win the Asian Cup, but there are many strong Asian countries that we are competing with. So it is important that we always try our best."
Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu (Photo: Getty)
Assessing the opponents who can compete for the continental championship title, coach Moriyasu said: "I think there are many teams that can aim for the championship like us. In particular, the countries that have participated in the World Cup in Qatar (Japan, Qatar, Iran, Korea, Australia, Saudi Arabia) all have a lot of experience and I think they will compete for the championship."
However, before talking about competing for the championship, Japan needs to focus on getting through the group stage. Coach Moriyasu's team is in Group D with Iraq, Vietnam and Indonesia. In the opening match on January 14, Japan will face Vietnam.
Mr. Moriyasu assessed the Vietnamese team as one of the strongest teams in Southeast Asia. Moreover, the team is now coached by Philippe Troussier, who used to coach the Japanese national team.
Vietnam plays Japan in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers (Photo: Getty).
Moriyasu added that Mr. Troussier must have known Japanese football culture. Because the French coach has experience managing the Japanese youth team from 1998 until the national team competing in the 2002 World Cup.
"Coach Philippe Troussier is someone who understands Japanese football very well. Looking at the way he builds the Vietnamese team, I think he wants to combine key players with young talent," said Mr. Moriyasu.
"I think he has built a very strong team. He is experimenting with different tactics than when he led Japan. So I think the Vietnamese team will be a tough opponent and we will have a difficult opening match," the 55-year-old coach emphasized.
In addition, Moriyasu also said that Southeast Asian teams in Group D, including Indonesia, have learned a lot from Japanese football.
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