Japan Will Appear Aggressive Against Indonesian National Team

Japanese national team while practicing at the Madya Stadium, Jakarta (Instagram/@japanfootballassociation).

JAKARTA – Japan National Team Coach, Hajime Moriyasu, confirmed that his team will play aggressively against the Indonesian National Team.

The Indonesian National Team vs Japan match on the fifth matchday of Group C of the Third Round of the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers in the Asian Zone will be held at the Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium (SUGBK), Friday, November 15, 2024.

"The Indonesian National Team will likely play defensively in tomorrow's match so we have to play aggressively," said Hajime Moriyaso in a press conference ahead of the match, Thursday, November 14, 2024, at SUGBK.

On paper, the Garuda Squad is clearly inferior in quality to Japan. Currently, the team nicknamed the Blue Samurai sits in 15th position in the FIFA rankings, while Indonesia is in 130th position.

In addition, Japan has also not suffered a defeat from the four 2026 World Cup Qualifiers that have been played. This result is in contrast to Indonesia which was only able to get three draws and one defeat.

However, Hajime Moriyasu refused to underestimate the Indonesian National Team which is currently strengthened by many naturalized players.

"Now, it is clear that Indonesia's strength is much better compared to before. In addition, the opponent has certainly analyzed our game," he said.

Currently, Japan is still sitting at the top of the Group C standings with a collection of 10 points. Meanwhile, the Indonesian National Team is still in fifth place with three points.

Currently, the Indonesian National Team is pursuing a target of finishing at least in fourth place in the Group C standings so as not to be eliminated in the competition to get a ticket to the 2026 World Cup finals.

If they finish in that position, Indonesia's struggle to appear in the World Cup for the first time in history can continue to the Fourth Round.

In order to qualify directly for the 2026 World Cup in the Third Round, the Indonesian National Team must at least finish in second place. This position is considered difficult to achieve.