The AFC Asian Cup kicks off on Friday, and Takehiro Tomiyasu will be our sole representative at the tournament, aiming to help his nation get their hands on the continent’s biggest prize.
Here is everything you need to know about it, and how you can follow Tomi throughout:
The key info
This will be the 18th staging of the competition, and its history stretches back to 1956. This tournament was due to be held last summer in China, however due to the COVID-19 pandemic they relinquished their hosting rights in 2022.
Qatar replaced them, but due to the extreme summer temperatures in the region, it was moved to our winter and will run from January 12 to February 10. Nine of the 10 stadia that were venues for the 2022 World Cup will once again be used, with the 88,000-capacity Lusail Stadium - which hosted the final between France and Argentina - given the nod for the concluding game.
Japan’s chances
The Samurai Blue have lifted the silverware four times previously, all of which have come since 1992. That means they have won the competition more times than any other nation, and Tomi’s team are the favourites again this time around.
They have a magnificent record at the Asian Cup, having reached the final in five of their nine appearances, and they are the highest-placed Asian nation in the current FIFA rankings, sitting in 17th spot having reached the last-16 of the World Cup where they beat Germany and Spain before being knocked out on penalties by Croatia.
While they've not won an Asian Cup since 2011 - interestingly when the tournament was last held in Qatar - their squad boasts plenty of talent plying their trade in European football, with only five domestic players and five survivors of the 2019 tournament, including Tomi.
Led by Liverpool’s Wataru Endo who is captain, Kaoru Mitoma of Brighton & Hove Albion is one of the stars of the team but is likely to miss the group stage through injury. Former Reds man Takumi Minamino is another fan favourite, while Takefusa Kubo played regularly in the Champions League for Real Sociedad. Right-back Yukinari Sugawara has also impressed at AZ Alkmaar this term.
Going into the tournament, they have won nine games in a row, scoring at least four goals in eight of those. That includes an eye-catching 4-1 away win against Germany back in September, while they warmed up for the competition by recently beating Thailand 5-0 and Jordan 6-1.
Other contenders
The Asian Cup is usually a wide-open affair, and the last four editions have seen four different winners. Qatar are the reigning champions and will be expected to go far as hosts, however after their disappointing display at the World Cup just over a year ago, they are out of form having only won six out of 17 matches in 2023.
Incredibly, South Korea haven’t won the Asian Cup in more than 60 years, but with Son Heung-min skippering a side that also contains Bayern Munich defender Kim Min-jae and Wolves hot-shot Hwang Hee-chan, Jurgen Klinsmann’s team are expected to be involved into the latter stages.
Saudi Arabia impressed at the World Cup when they stunned Argentina, and star man Salem al-Dawsari is once again in their ranks with new boss Roberto Mancini looking to add an Asian Cup to his Euro 2020 success with Italy. Iran are the second-highest ranked team according to FIFA in the tournament, while a new-look Australia side are also tipped to challenge.
How the competition works
24 nations have qualified, split into six groups of four. The top two from each group will automatically reach the last 16, along with the four best third-placed teams.
Japan have been placed in Group D alongside Vietnam, Indonesia and Iraq, which many experts predict should see them comfortably ease into the knockout stages as group winners.
The knockout phase starts with the round of 16, with the winners of Japan’s group playing a team that finished third in one of the others. Then follows the traditional pattern of a quarter-final, semi-final and final, which will be played on Saturday, February 10.
Tomi’s role
In the last edition back in 2019, our man enjoyed a breakthrough tournament. Playing for Sint-Truiden at the time, a 20-year-old Tomi had only won two caps going into the competition, but he would be trusted to play in every match, starting all-but one on their run to the final, where they were beaten by Qatar 3-1.
That established the defender as a key player in Japan’s side, and he now has 37 caps for his country, netting once during that time. He mainly operates for them at centre-back, and should be partnered by either Borussia Monchengladbach’s Ko Itakura, or Koki Machida of Union Saint-Gilloise, while veteran Shogo Taniguchi is also an option.
When he’ll be in action
Japan begin their campaign when they take on Vietnam on Sunday, January 14 in Doha. Managed by veteran boss Philippe Troussier, they are 94th in the FIFA rankings and reached the last eight of the 2019 Asian Cup.
Next up is a meeting with Iraq on Friday, January 19 in Al Rayyan, who won the tournament back in 2007 and are also likely to reach the last 16, as they did in 2019. They are 63rd in the world.
The group stage rounds off back in Doha against minnows Indonesia on Wednesday, January 24. They are ranked 146th, and are managed by Shin Tae-yong, who masterminded South Korea's stunning 2-0 win over Germany in the 2018 World Cup.
How to watch
UK viewers can watch the matches live on Triller TV, with Japan’s group games all kicking off at 11.30am GMT.
International supporters can find out which broadcasters are showing the matches in their countries
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