The Japanese Star-Studded Squad Becomes The Toughest Opponent Of The Indonesian National Team In Group D Of The 2023 Asian Cup

Japan starred in the 2023 Asian Cup as the toughest opponent of the Indonesian national team (doc. JFA).

JAKARTA - The Japanese national team is the final opponent of the Indonesian national team in Group D of the 2023 Asian Cup. The meeting of the Bira Samurai vs Garuda Squad will be held at Al Thumama Stadium, Doha, on Wednesday, January 24, 2024.

Japan, which are members of Group D of the 2023 Asian Cup, will meet with Iraq, Vietnam, and Indonesia. They are the team that is predicted to be the toughest opponent for the Indonesian national team.

Hajime Moriyasu's team is one of the best football powers in Asia today. Their star-studded squad in the 2023 Asian Cup made it easy for him to walk in the group stage.

Japan has become an Asian country that has not missed the World Cup since the 1998 edition. Their furthest step in the world's biggest football tournament was only until the last 16.

In the Asian Cup, they have not been absent since the 1988 edition. Japan is no stranger to the Asian Cup which has participated 10 times, including in the 2023 Asian Cup.

The Blue Samurai also won four Asian Cup championship trophies, namely in the 1992, 2000, 2004, and 2011 editions.

In the 2019 Asian Cup edition, Japan advanced to the final, but lost to Qatar with a score of 1-3 and had to settle for the runner-up position. The achievement in the 2019 edition certainly wanted to be improved by Japan in the 2023 edition.

Japan is certainly a candidate for the trophy. No doubt, they will aim for the status of Group D winners to qualify for the round of 16.

Japan's impressive appearance also led them to advance far in the ranks of FIFA. In Group D of the 2023 Asian Cup, Japan became the team with the highest ranking, namely 17. Iraq followed with the 63rd rank, the 94th Vietnam boy. The Indonesian national team is the most distended in the 146th rank of FIFA.

Before appearing in the 2023 Asian Cup, Japan under the tutelage of Hajime Moriyasu also continued to finalize preparations, including undergoing two test matches against Thailand and Jordan.

Japan managed to get a satisfactory result because it always won from those two matches. In the first trial against Thailand, January 1, 2024, they won 5-0 through goals from Ao Tanaka, Keito Nakamura, own goal Elias Dolah, Takumu Kawamura, and Takumi Minamino.

Against Jordan, Japan repeated success by winning 6-1. Against FIFA's 87th-ranked team, six Japanese goals in the match Tuesday, January 9, 2024, contributed by Ko Itakura, Takato Nakamura, Jordanian own goals, Takumi Minamino, Takuma Asano, and Daizen Maeda.

Japan's strength cannot be separated from the rows of players who have survived at various European clubs. Some names have even become pillars of the Blue Continent's top club.

Call it Takehiro Tomiyasu with Arsenal, Wataru Endo who defended Liverpool, and forced Mitoma who was shining under the banner of Brighton and Hove Albion in the Premier League.

Other names are no less shining. They are scattered in Europe's top leagues, such as La Liga Spain, the Dutch Eredivisie, the German Bundesliga, Ligue 1 France, to the Scottish League.

Ahead of his appearance at the 2023 Asian Cup, Hajime Moriyasu has pocketed 26 names of players he will meet in order to gain maximum results. The following is a list of Japanese national team players in the 2023 Asian Cup:

List 26 Of Japanese Players In The 2023 Asian Cup

Goalkeeper

Daiya Maekawa (Vissel Kobe)

Zion Suzuki (Sint-Truiden)

Taishi Nozawa (FC Tokyo)

Behind

Shogo Taniguchi (Al Rayyan)

Ko Itakura (Burussia Monchengladbach)

Tatsuya Morishita (Gent)

Yuta Nakayama (Huddersfield Town)

Chef Macida (Union SG)

Seiya Maikuma (Cerezo Osaka)

Takehiro Tomiyasu (Arsenal)

Hiroki Ito (Stuttgart)

Yukinari Sugawara (AZ Alkmaar)

Midfielder

Wataru Endo (Liverpool)

Takumi Minamino (Monaco)

Hidemasa Morita (Sporting Lisbon)

Mythoma (Brighton & Hove Albion)

Daizen Maeda (Celtic)

Ritsu Doan (Freiburg)

Reo Hate (Celtic)

Keito Nakamura (Reims)

Kaishu Sano (Kashima Antlers)

Takefusa Kubo (Real Sociedad)

Striker

Junya Ito (Reims)

Takuma Asano (Bochum)

Ayase Ueda (Feyenoord)

Mao Hoskya (Kashiwa Reysol)