AFC U17 Asian Cup
The 4-1 victory for Nozomi Hiroyama’s side against United Arab Emirates on Friday saw them lead the group with maximum points, two ahead of Vietnam and Australia who drew 1-1 in the other game.
A win against Vietnam will guarantee Japan a top two finish in the group, securing their place in the quarter-finals as well as sealing a spot at the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025.
“Basically we keep going, but it won’t be easy against Vietnam,” said Hiroyama. “We need to improve and maybe change some things for the game.
“This is the first Asian Cup for the players but our nation has a lot of history in this competition, which is why we want to keep going and hopefully win the tournament.”
#AFCU17 | Group B: Japan 4–1 UAE
After opening their campaign with a stalemate, Vietnam are at risk of missing out on a place in the knockout stage as well as the FIFA U-17 World Cup should they drop more points.
Head coach Cristano Roland faces a race against time as the Brazilian looks to tinker with his selection against a Japan side that produced 27 shots against UAE.
#AFCU17 | Group B: Australia 1–1 Vietnam
“It’s another difficult game,” said Roland. “Hopefully the nerves are all gone after the experience with the first match.
“We need to make the players remember that second half performance against Australia and now try to play similarly for the entire match against Japan.”
Vietnam v Japan
Venue: Okaz Stadium (Taif)
Kick-off: Monday, 18:00 (UTC+3)
Related News
- AFC U17 Asian Cup
Preview - Group C: Indonesia v Yemen
- AFC U17 Asian Cup
Chamanian wants more from IR Iran
- AFC U17 Asian Cup
Ashuralizoda’s confidence gives Tajikistan winning start
- AFC U17 Asian Cup
Kanda focused on powering Japan to hat-trick
- FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup
Asia's finest set for exciting challenge
Item 1 of 5