Japan Without Ueda's Ayase, Shin Tae-yong Asks The Indonesian National Team To Stay Alert

Ayase Ueda is absent, the Indonesian national team must remain vigilant with Japan (Instagram/@bee18_official).

JAKARTA - The Indonesian national team coach, Shin Tae-ying, responded to the situation in Japan which will visit the country in the Third Round of the 2026 World Cup Qualification. Even though he will appear without Ayase Ueda, the 54-year-old coach asked the Indonesian national team to remain vigilant.

The Indonesian national team will host Japan in the fifth match of Group C of the Third Round of the 2026 World Cup Qualification. The match will be held at the Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium (SUGBK) on November 15, 2024.

For this match, Japan will certainly appear without Ayase Ueda. One of the Blue Samurai mainstay players was in a hamstring injury while defending his club, Feyennoord. This forced him to miss at least until the end of 2024.

Shin Tae-yong responded that the Indonesian national team should not be careless even without Ueda. The reason is, in his view, the Blue Samurai have a good team organization.

Shin Tae-yong asked the Indonesian national team players to remain fully vigilant against Japan.

"Yes, maybe you can think about it because he (Ayase Ueda) is a striker, so it could be an advantage for us," said Shin Tae-yong in a statement quoted on Friday, November 8, 2024.

"However, the Japanese national team organization is indeed very good. We really shouldn't be careless in the slightest."

"So, whether there is a player or not, we actually have to prepare well for the match against Japan," said the coach again.

Ayase Ueda is an important figure for the Blue Samurai. You see, he became one of the goals machines for the current team.

His contribution throughout 2024, Ayase Ueda has even managed to score seven goals in 11 matches for Japan.

In Feyennoord, which is his club, Ueda was also able to perform well at the start of this season. He was able to score three goals in the first nine games with Feyenoord.

Although they will fight the Indonesian national team without Ayase Ueda, Japan's attack is still dangerous.

The reason is, they will still be strengthened by Chef Ogawa, Daizen Maeda, though Mitoma, Takumi Minamino, Takefusa Kubo, and Ritsu Doan who enriched the choice of Hajime Moriyasu.