Japan aims to exhibit steely nerves against formidable opposition in the 30th edition of the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup (SAS Cup) that gets underway on Saturday in Ipoh.
The Japanese men’s team finished in 11th place in the final standings of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. They also failed to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics after finishing seventh in the qualifying round held in Valencia, Spain earlier this year.
Team manager Mizawa Takayasu said the national team was assembled recently following the end of the winter season in March. The SAS Cup will be their first international exposure this year.
“We arrived here last night (Tuesday) and today’s friendly match against Canada is crucial. We hope to learn from this match and prepare for the tournament. We will be facing very strong teams, and the experience here will be good for the players,” said Takayasu.
The Japanese defeated the Canadians 1-0 and Takayasu said he is happy with the performance of his players in their first international friendly match.
“The team will have the services of 12 players who competed in the recent Olympics qualifying round in Spain, while five youngsters (between the ages of 18 and 20) are in the senior team for the first time. Our target is to finish among the top three teams in this tournament,” he added.
“Today’s result is good for the team’s confidence.”
Japan’s best performance in the history of the SAS Cup was finishing fourth in the 2022 edition. They lost 5-3 to Pakistan in the play-off for the bronze medal.
Midfielder Manabu Yamashita, who is 35-year-old, is the most senior player in the squad with 217 caps, followed by Seren Tanaka (158 caps), Shota Yamada (145 caps), and Takashi Yoshikawa (145 caps). Raiki Fujishima, 24-year-old, will captain the side. He has 54 caps.
