Despite the allure of a fourth title, Japan were not inclined to look beyond Saturday’s showdown against Oman.

“At this stage, winning a record fourth title is not on our minds,” said Japan head coach Teruki Tabata.

“All the games in this competition have been extremely tough, and I have no doubt facing Oman will be no different. They’ve had a strong tournament, and we have immense respect for them.

“In order to defeat them, we must carefully analyse their strengths and weaknesses and give everything we’ve got,” he added.

Captain ⁠Ryota Tsuboya, who played a key role in the quarter-final victory against Lebanon, shared his coach’s sentiments, insisting their sole focus was on reaching the final.

“We are not dwelling on past successes. Our three previous titles are not on our minds—we are only thinking about our semi-final match,” said Tsuboya.

While acknowledging the challenge posed by Japan, Oman head coach Talib Hilal was equally confident in his squad’s abilities.

“We started this tournament with 16 teams, and now we’re down to four. Every match has been crucial,” said Hilal.

“I believe this will be like a final before the final, as both teams are well prepared and have shown strong performances along the way. Our focus has been on the trophy from the first matchday, and now we are just two matches away. It will be a tough game, but I have faith in my team and their ability to win.”

Oman captain Mandhar Alraimi echoed his coach’s confidence, stating that reclaiming the title was a collective ambition the squad had been working towards tirelessly.

“We have been training extremely hard over the past few months. Winning this trophy again is a shared dream. So far, we have performed well, and now we face a side that has won this title three times. Hopefully, with our hard work and a bit of luck, we’ll be in Sunday’s final.”

Japan v Oman
Venue: Jomtien Beach Arena (Pattaya)
Kick-off: Saturday, 20:30 (UTC+7)