SAITAMA, JAPAN // Japan will not let their limited preparations affect their quest to begin the final stage of 2018 World Cup qualification with a victory against the UAE on Thursday, according to manager Vahid Halilhodzic.
The Japanese host Mahdi Ali’s side Thursday at the Saitama Stadium 2002 in their Group B opener on the back of only a few days together as their full squad. The team’s 14 European-based players — Inter Milan leftback Yuto Nagatomo has since dropped out with injury — arrived earlier this week, while Hiroshi Kiyotake and Genki Haraguchi joined up with the rest of the group on Tuesday. The UAE, meanwhile, have spent almost two months together at training camps in Spain and Shanghai.
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However, Halilhodzic is confident Japan will kick off their campaign with victory, in what is the first meeting between the two sides since the UAE prevailed on penalties in the Asian Cup quarter-finals last year.
“We have competed with the UAE before and the results so far are very even,” Halilhodzic said. “As this is the final qualifying stage towards Russia we really need a victory and we’ve been preparing a lot for tomorrow.
“Even though we have a lot of issues we’ve been training well and tomorrow is a very important game. I hope we’ll do well. The UAE have prepared for two months and we’ve had two days, but that doesn’t mean we’re not as ambitious as they are.”
Japan will be without Nagatomo and Tomoaki Makino, the central defender at Urawa Red Diamonds, who are both injured, while talented Kashima Antlers striker Mu Kanazaki was not called up. Also, defender Gen Shoji and midfielder Yosuke Kashiwagi, both playing in the Japanese J-League, sat out Wednesday’s final training session.
Halilhodzic insists he has more than enough talent to choose from, though, as Japan seek to emerge from the next week with six points. On September 6, the five-time World Cup participants travel to group minnows Thailand.
“In the perfect world we’d love to have two weeks together, but realistically we don’t have that time and there’s nothing we can do about it,” said Halilhodzic, who confirmed he has spent a significant time analysing the UAE. “But off the field we’ve prepared mentality and done our analysis.
“Of course, I want to win every match and tomorrow is an important first step for us, but we’ve made it our target to win this first match and then also win the next in Thailand.
“However, we know these teams are not going to offer us a gift of victory, that rather we have to go out and grab it. So things are not easy for Japan for sure, but neither are they for the UAE. The thing I will promise is that we’ll go all out to win this match and give our all.”
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