In the same group as Thailand! The Japanese coach will use only players aged 21 or under to compete in the 2026 Asian Games but aims to win the gold medal.
The Japan Football Association officially announced the final squad for the 2026 Asian Games, placing Japan in Group A alongside Thailand, Kyrgyzstan, and Hong Kong.
For men's football at the Asian Games, players must be under 23 years old, and each team can select up to three overage players (Wild Cards) aged 24 or older.
However, Japan chose to field only players under 21 years old (U-21), two years younger than the age limit, without selecting any overage players. The squad includes only four players based abroad, 16 from J-League clubs, and three university athletes. This approach appears to be preparing the team for the 2028 Olympics.
Go Oiwa, head coach of Japan’s 2026 Asian Games team, stated, “Our team has clearly defined roles for each position in both offense and defense.”
“We will strengthen the team for this tournament and aim to erase the disappointment from the previous competition.”
Go Oiwa took over as head coach of Japan’s U-21 team in December 2021, leading them to win the 2024 AFC U-23 Asian Cup and secure a spot at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
At the Paris Olympics, he guided the team to the quarterfinals without using any overage players. In January, he also led the U-21 team to win the AFC U-23 Asian Cup for the second consecutive time.