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The Arsenal defender recently returned from injury by featuring in the second half of Arsenal’s 2-1 loss to Fulham.
Arsenal right-back Takehiro Tomiyasu has been named in the Japan squad for the upcoming Asian Cup, and will link up with his teammates on Friday, January 5.
The defender will be heading to Qatar for the competition, as the Samurai Blue aim to win the tournament for the fifth time to extend their record as the competition's most successful team. They last won the trophy in 2011.
Liverpool’s Wataru Endo has also made the squad, and will be full of confidence after recently forcing his way into the starting line-up on a regular basis.
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19:11 - 01.01.2024
FOOTBALL Sadio Mane believes 2023 AFCON will be ‘the toughest’ of them all
The former Liverpool man inspired the side to their first ever AFCON trophy in 2021.
Japan begin their campaign when they take on Vietnam on January 14 in Doha, and that will be followed by group games against Iran on Friday, January 19 and Indonesia on Wednesday, January 24.
Before then, Japan tackle Jordan in a friendly, which also takes place in Doha on January 9.
Tomiyasu has made 37 appearances for the Japan national team since his senior debut in October 2018, and has scored one goal. It will be the second time he has headed to the Asian Cup, and he hopes to go one step further than his previous experience in 2019 where he was part of the side that finished runners-up.
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18:21 - 28.12.2023
FOOTBALL Former Chelsea star challenges Nigeria to finally live up to the ‘favourites’ tag at AFCON 2023
Nigeria have massively underwhelmed since winning the trophy in 2013, incluing failing to qualify for back-to-back tournaments in 2015 and 2017.
The competition kicks off on January 12 and will run until February 10.
Full Japan squad
Goalkeepers: Daiya Maekawa (Vissel Kobe), Zion Suzuki (Sint-Truiden), Taishi Brandon Nozawa (FC Tokyo)
Defenders: Shogo Taniguchi (Al-Rayyan), Ko Itakura (Borussia Monchengladbach), Tsuyoshi Watanabe (Gent), Yuta Nakayama (Huddersfield Town), Koki Machida (Union SG), Seiya Maikuma (Cerezo Osaka), Takehiro Tomiyasu (Arsenal), Hiroki Ito (Stuttgart), Yukinari Sugawara (AZ Alkmaar)
Midfielders: Wataru Endo (Liverpool), Hidemasa Morita (Sporting Lisbon), Ritsu Doan (Freiburg), Keito Nakamura, Junya Ito (Reims), Takefusa Kubo (Real Sociedad), Takumi Minamino (Monaco), Kaoru Mitoma (Brighton), Kaishu Sano (Kashima Antlers), Reo Hatate (Celtic)
Forwards: Takuma Asano (Bochum), Ayase Ueda (Feyenoord), Mao Hosoya (Kashiwa Reysol), Daizen Maeda (Celtic)
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16:00 - 29.12.2023
FOOTBALL Why radioactive Zaha, Bailly may not face Harambee Stars in June
Wilfred Zaha and Eric Bailly may not face Harambee Stars in June as their international careers are rumored to be over following their exclusions from Ivory Coast’s AFCON squad.
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