Japan can take a major step towards the 2026 World Cup over the next week if they can negotiate away tests at Indonesia and China in the space of five days.
Son Heung-min’s South Korea will also look to close in on a spot at the showpiece in North America as they travel to Kuwait on Thursday and then face Palestine in Jordan next week.
Meanwhile, Herve Renard, who masterminded a famous victory over eventual champions Argentina at the Qatar World Cup, takes charge of Saudi Arabia for the first time since returning to the job.
An estimated 78,000 will pack out the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, in hope of seeing the hosts pull off a shock on Friday.
Hajime Moriyasu’s Japan will then need to face down another hostile crowd when they travel to Xiamen on Tuesday to play China.
Son Heung-Min (second from left) missed South Korea’s past two matches with an injury. Photo: Xinhua
“If you look at the Fifa rankings and the games in the World Cup qualifiers so far, you might think that the advantage is with Japan,” coach Moriyasu said.
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Publish date : 2024-11-11 18:13:00
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