Asian football greats, Japan has announced their final 26-man list for the 2022 Fifa World Cup.
Playmakers Daichi Kamada and Takefusa Kubo headline the squad, revealed by manager Hajime Moriyasu announced on Tuesday.
Celtic forward Kyogo Furuhashi and midfielder Reo Hatate notably missed out on selection for the Samurai Blue, who will take on Germany in their Group E opener on Nov. 23 before facing Costa Rica on the 27th and Spain on Dec. 1.
“I’ve made the best, comprehensive selection possible, placing importance on our activities thus far and the situations the players are facing (at their clubs), and with how we plan to play at the World Cup in mind,” Moriyasu said.
“There really are lots of players in all positions that could have been picked. It was extremely difficult.”
Moriyasu also added he could be forced into making late changes, especially with games in European leagues taking place until a week before the Nov. 20 World Cup opening.
“We never know what might happen. Players (not picked) have equivalent abilities and I hope they retain their will to fight for Japan.”
Japan will play a warm-up game against Canada on Nov. 17 in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.
Squad:
Goalkeepers:
Eiji Kawashima (Strasbourg), Shuichi Gonda (Shimizu S-Pulse), Daniel Schmidt (Sint-Truiden)
Defenders:
Yuto Nagatomo (FC Tokyo), Maya Yoshida (Schalke), Hiroki Sakai (Urawa Reds), Shogo Taniguchi (Kawasaki Frontale), Miki Yamane (Kawasaki Frontale), Ko Itakura (Borussia Monchengladbach), Yuta Nakayama (Huddersfield), Hiroki Ito (Stuttgart), Takehiro Tomiyasu (Arsenal)
Midfielders:
Gaku Shibasaki (Leganes), Wataru Endo (Stuttgart), Junya Ito (Reims), Takumi Minamino (Monaco), Hidemasa Morita (Sporting Lisbon), Daichi Kamada (Eintracht Frankfurt), Yuki Soma (Nagoya Grampus), Kaoru Mitoma (Brighton), Ritsu Doan (Freiburg), Ao Tanaka (Fortuna Dusseldorf), Takefusa Kubo (Real Sociedad)
Forwards:
Daizen Maeda (Celtic), Takuma Asano (Bochum), Ayase Ueda (Cercle Brugge)
