“As a team, we have never gone to the (AFC Champions League Elite) semi-finals, so it’s very important for the club,” said Wakizaka. 

Having signed professional terms with his boyhood club in 2018, Wakizaka has been at the forefront of numerous Frontale participations at the continental level but with no success. 

Having suffered three group stage and two Round of 16 exits, this is the furthest that Wakizaka has been with Frontale and the 29-year-old is determined to keep the run going - starting with the quarter-final against Qatar’s Al Sadd SC on Sunday.

“We will have a game that we have been waiting for a long time. I walked around the stadium earlier and I got even more excited. We can’t wait to show our football style.

“The first goal will be the most important so we have to be ready from the first minute and try to play attacking football like we always do.”

The skipper is also excited to pit his skills against two-time AFC Player of the Year Akram Afif as he looks to shut down the fulcrum of the Qatari champions.

“Simply, I'm very excited and I’m looking forward to going up against him and it’s vital that we don’t allow a player like Afif to produce his full quality in the game.”