Japan must be able to “deal with anything” in order to win a record fifth title at the Asian Cup next month, according to coach Hajime Moriyasu on Thursday ( Dec 7 ).
After winning their last eight matches, including away victories over Germany and Turkey, Japan is one of the favorites for the championship in Qatar, which begins on January 12.
On New Year’s Day, Moriyasu announced a 23-man club for rematch against Thailand in Tokyo. The crew includes 15 players from abroad but is devoid of Premier League stars like Wataru Endo from Liverpool and Kaoru Mitoma from Brighton.
When the Asian Cup crew is announced in early January, the coach anticipates having somebody on hand and wants his players prepared for any challenge.
We must be ready to improve with each activity as well as be able to handle injuries and other things in order to be great from the start, he said.
Real and military preparation is crucial, but we also need to have the mindset to play tough and handle anything that is thrown our way before the competition begins.