Alkass Digital
Japan coach Go Oiwa will be without suspended defender Ryuya Nishio as the former champions look to move a step closer to the quarter-finals of the AFC U23 Asian Cup Qatar 2024™ when they take on the United Arab Emirates at Jassim bin Hamad Stadium on Friday.
he Japanese squeezed past China PR with a 1-0 win over their East Asian neighbours in their Group B opener on Tuesday, with Kuryu Matsuki’s early goal enough to pick up the points despite playing much of the game with 10 men.
Cerezo Osaka centre-half Nishio was sent off in the 17th minute and will miss the game against the UAE as a result, with Seiji Kimura likely to deputise at the heart of the defence alongside Kawasaki Frontale’s Kota Takai, who impressed in the win over the Chinese.
“Matsuki and Takai are very young players and I’m satisfied with their performances,” Oiwa said of the pair’s showings in Japan’s opener. “I expect them to perform better as the tournament goes on.
“The players gave their all and we got the three points, so we’re able to look forward to the next game against the United Arab Emirates.”
Victory for the Japanese could be enough to take Oiwa’s side, who are chasing the nation’s eighth consecutive appearance at the Olympic Games as well as a second AFC U23 Asian Cup title, into the quarter-finals ahead of their final Group B game against Korea Republic.
A win coupled with a draw between the Koreans – who won their opening match against the UAE – and China PR in the other clash in the group would take Japan through.
The UAE, meanwhile, will be looking to bounce back from their loss against the Koreans, when Lee Young-jun’s injury time goal condemned Marcelo Broli’s side to an agonisingly late defeat.
"The page has turned for us in regards to the first match,” the Uruguayan said. “We will prepare for the next match against Japan. We will try to identify the strengths and weaknesses of Japan, and exploit their weak points."
United Arab Emirates v Japan
Venue: Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium (Doha)
Kick-off: Friday, 18:30 (UTC+3)