The Japan national under-23 football team is a national association football youth team of Japan and is controlled by the Japan Football Association. The team won the gold medal at the 2010 Asian Games and were champions in the 2016 AFC U-23 Championship. The head coach is Akinobu Yokouchi. Since 1992, it was decided that teams targeting athletes under the age of 23 will participate in the Olympics (additional provisions for overage limits have been added since 1996). Therefore, the name changes to Japan national under-22 football team the year before the Olympics and Japan national under-21 football team two years ago. The exception to this is the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, which has been postponed for one year, so in 2021, the team will be called the Japan national under-24 football team.
Nickname(s) | サムライ・ブルー (Samurai Blue) | ||
---|---|---|---|
Association | Japan Football Association | ||
Confederation | AFC (Asia) | ||
Sub-confederation | EAFF (East Asia) | ||
Head coach | Akinobu Yokouchi | ||
Captain | Yuta Nakayama | ||
Most caps | Kensuke Nagai Keigo Higashi (31 each) | ||
Top scorer | Shoya Nakajima (19) | ||
FIFA code | JPN | ||
| |||
First international | |||
Malaysia 1–1 Japan (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; December 1990)[1] | |||
Biggest win | |||
Japan 13–0 Philippines (Hong Kong; 12 June 1999) | |||
Biggest defeat | |||
Denmark 6–1 Japan (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; 6 February 1994) | |||
Summer Olympics | |||
Appearances | 7 (first in 1996) | ||
Best result | Fourth place (2012) | ||
AFC U-23 Championship | |||
Appearances | 4 (first in 2013) | ||
Best result | Winner (2016) | ||
Asian Games | |||
Appearances | 5 (first in 2002) | ||
Best result | Gold Medal (2010) |
Team image
Nicknames
The Japan national under-23 football team has been known or nicknamed as "サムライ・ブルー (Samurai Blue)".
Rivalries
South Korea
Japan maintains a strong football rivalry with South Korea.
Media coverage
Summer Olympics
Television channel | Period |
---|---|
AFC U-23 Asian Cup
Television channel | Period |
---|---|
Friendly and Qualifiers
Television channel | Period |
---|---|
TBS, Fuji TV, Nippon TV | 2021 |
Results and fixtures
- Legend
Win Draw Lose Void or Postponed Fixture
2019
22 March AFC U-23 Championship qualification | Japan | 8–0 | Macau | Yangon, Myanmar |
15:00 | Machida 51' Ueda 54', 60', 70' Endo 67' Maeda 69', 72' Itakura 90+5' | Report | Stadium: Thuwunna Stadium Attendance: 303 Referee: Mooud Bonyadifard (Iran) |
24 March AFC U-23 Championship qualification | Timor-Leste | 0–6 | Japan | Yangon, Myanmar |
15:00 | Report | Tagawa 24' Kubo 54', 75' Tatsuta 60' Itakura 71' Ueda 77' | Stadium: Thuwunna Stadium Attendance: 753 Referee: Hussein Abo Yehia (Lebanon) |
26 March AFC U-23 Championship qualification | Japan | 7–0 | Myanmar | Yangon, Myanmar |
15:00 |
| Report | Stadium: Thuwunna Stadium Attendance: 9,875 Referee: Mooud Bonyadifard (Iran) |
1 June Toulon Tournament (Group stage) | England | 1–2 | Japan | Aubagne, France |
15:05 | Chalobah 38' | Report | Ominami 47' Naganuma 68' | Stadium: Stade de Lattre-de-Tassigny Referee: Felipe González Alveal (Chile) |
4 June Toulon Tournament (Group stage) | Japan | 6–1 | Chile | Salon-de-Provence, France |
16:05 | Mitoma 7' Hatate 12', 18', 63' Iwasaki 39', 45+1' | Report | Araos 35' | Stadium: Stade d'Honneur Marcel Roustan Referee: Robert Hennessy (Republic of Ireland) |
7 June Toulon Tournament (Group stage) | Portugal | 1–0 | Japan | Fos-sur-Mer, France |
17:05 | Umaro Embaló 85' | Report | Stadium: Stade Parsemain Referee: Aliyar Aghayev (Azerbaijan) |
12 June Toulon Tournament (Semi-finals) | Japan | 2–2 (5–4 p) | Mexico | Aubagne, France |
15:00 | Soma 72' Ogawa 89' | Report | Godínez 50' E. Aguirre 86' | Stadium: Stade de Lattre-de-Tassigny Referee: Horațiu Feșnic (Romania) |
Penalties | ||||
Ogawa Soma Iwasaki Naganuma Hatate | E. Aguirre Cardona López Mozo Córdova |
15 June Toulon Tournament (Final) | Brazil | 1–1 (5–4 p) | Japan | Salon-de-Provence, France |
16:00 | Antony 19' | Report | Ogawa 39' | Stadium: Stade d'Honneur Marcel Roustan Referee: António Nobre (Portugal) |
Penalties | ||||
Soma Mitoma Kamiya Naganuma Hatate |
2020
9 January AFC U-23 Championship (Group stage) | Japan | 1–2 | Saudi Arabia | Rangsit, Thai |
20:15 |
| Live Report Stats Report |
| Stadium: Thammasat Stadium Attendance: 1,433 Referee: Chris Beath (Australia) |
12 January AFC U-23 Championship (Group stage) | Syria | 2–1 | Japan | Rangsit, Thai |
20:15 |
| Live Report Stats Report |
| Stadium: Thammasat Stadium Attendance: 1,509 Referee: Ali Sabah (Iraq) |
15 January AFC U-23 Championship (Group stage) | Qatar | 1–1 | Japan | Bangkok, Thai |
20:15 |
| Live Report Stats Report |
| Stadium: Rajamangala Stadium Attendance: 1,362 Referee: Muhammad Taqi (Singapore) |
2021
26 March Saison Card Cup | Japan | 0–1 | Argentina | Chōfu, Tokyo, Japan |
19:00 UTC+9 | Report(JFA) Report(JFA) |
| Stadium: Ajinomoto Stadium Attendance: 8,416 Referee: Ryuji Sato (Japan) |
29 March Saison Card Cup | Japan | 3–0 | Argentina | Kitakyushu, Japan |
19:45 UTC+9 |
| Report(JFA) Report(JFA) | Stadium: Mikuni World Stadium Kitakyushu Attendance: 7,302 Referee: C. R. Srikrishna (India) |
3 June Unofficial friendly | Japan A | 3–0 | Japan | Hokkaido, Japan |
19:30 UTC+9 | Hashimoto 2' Kamada 41' Asano 52' | Report(JFA) | Stadium: Sapporo Dome |
5 June Friendly | Japan | v | Ghana | Fukuoka, Japan |
19:25 UTC+9 | Report(JFA) | Stadium: Best Denki Stadium |
12 June Friendly | Japan | v | Jamaica | Toyota, Aichi, Japan |
13:35 UTC+9 | Report(JFA) | Stadium: Toyota Stadium |
12 July Kirin Challenge Cup (Under-24) | Japan | v | Honduras | Osaka, Japan |
--:-- UTC+9 | Report(JFA) | Stadium: Yodoko Sakura Stadium |
17 July Kirin Challenge Cup (Under-24) | Japan | v | Spain | Hyogo, Japan |
--:-- UTC+9 | Report(JFA) | Stadium: Noevir Stadium Kobe |
22 July 2020 Summer Olympics GS Group A | Japan | v | South Africa | Tokyo, Japan |
20:00 UTC+9 | [ Report (JFA)] | Stadium: Tokyo Stadium |
25 July 2020 Summer Olympics GS Group A | Japan | v | Mexico | Satiama, Japan |
20:00 UTC+9 | [ Report (JFA)] | Stadium: Saitama Stadium 2002 |
28 July 2020 Summer Olympics GS Group A | France | v | Japan | Yokohama, Japan |
20:30 UTC+9 | [ Report (JFA)] | Stadium: International Stadium Yokohama |
- Official fixtures – JFA.jp
- 2021 schedules As of 16 December 2020
- Results and Fixtures – FIFA.com
Head-to-head record
The following table shows Japan under-23 team's all-time international record, correct as of 1 October 2020.
Against | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | GF | GA | GD | Confederation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Australia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | AFC |
China PR | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | AFC |
Iran | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | AFC |
Iraq | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | AFC |
Macau | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | AFC |
Myanmar | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | AFC |
Qatar | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | AFC |
Saudi Arabia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | AFC |
South Korea | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | AFC |
Syria | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | AFC |
Timor-Leste | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | AFC |
United Arab Emirates | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | AFC |
Uzbekistan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | AFC |
Nigeria | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | CAF |
Mexico | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | CONCACAF |
Brazil | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | CONMEBOL |
Chile | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | CONMEBOL |
New Zealand | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | OFC |
England | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | UEFA |
Portugal | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | UEFA |
Against | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | GF | GA | GD | Confederation |
Coaching staff
Current coaching staff
- As of 21 May 2021[2]
Position | Name |
---|---|
Head coach | Akinobu Yokouchi |
Assistant coach | Katsushi Kurihara |
Goalkeeping coach | Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi |
Physical coach | Yoshiharu Yano |
Manager history
Name | Period | Matches | Wins | Draws | Losses | Winning % | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Yoshitada Yamaguchi | 1990–1992 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 00.0% | |
Akira Nishino | 1993–1996 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 00.0% | |
Philippe Troussier | 1998–2000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 00.0% | |
Masakuni Yamamoto | 2002–2004 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 00.0% | |
Yasuharu Sorimachi | 2006–2008 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 00.0% | |
Takashi Sekizuka | 2010–2012 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 00.0% | |
Makoto Teguramori | 2014–2016 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 00.0% | |
Hajime Moriyasu | 2017–2020 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 00.0% | |
Akinobu Yokouchi | 2020 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 00.0% | |
Hajime Moriyasu | 2020– | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 00.0% |
- As of 29 March 2021 after the match against Argentina.
Players
Current squad
- The following players were named to the squad for the training match against Japan's first team, as well as the international friendly matches against Ghana and Jamaica on 5 and 12 June 2021.[3]
- Caps and goals accurate up to and including 7 December 2020.
No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Club | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | GK | Keisuke Osako | 28 July 1999 (aged 21) | Sanfrecce Hiroshima | ||
12 | GK | Yuya Oki | 22 August 1999 (aged 21) | Kashima Antlers | ||
23 | GK | Kosei Tani | 22 November 2000 (aged 20) | Shonan Bellmare | ||
24 | GK | Zion Suzuki | 21 August 2002 (aged 18) | Urawa Reds | ||
5 | DF | Koki Machida | 25 August 1997 (aged 23) | Kashima Antlers | ||
20 | DF | Reo Hatate | 21 November 1997 (aged 23) | Kawasaki Frontale | ||
15 | DF | Taiyo Koga | 28 October 1998 (aged 22) | Kashiwa Reysol | ||
16 | DF | Takehiro Tomiyasu | 5 November 1998 (aged 22) | Bologna | ||
27 | DF | Daiki Hashioka | 17 May 1999 (aged 22) | Sint-Truiden | ||
2 | DF | Yukinari Sugawara | 28 June 2000 (aged 20) | AZ | ||
22 | DF | Maya YoshidaOA (captain) | 24 August 1988 (aged 32) | Sampdoria | ||
19 | DF | Hiroki SakaiOA | 12 April 1990 (aged 31) | Marseille | ||
4 | MF | Ko Itakura | 27 January 1997 (aged 24) | FC Groningen | ||
3 | MF | Yuta Nakayama | 16 February 1997 (aged 24) | PEC Zwolle | ||
14 | MF | Yuki Soma | 25 February 1997 (aged 24) | Nagoya Grampus | ||
8 | MF | Koji Miyoshi | 26 March 1997 (aged 24) | Royal Antwerp | ||
7 | MF | Kaoru Mitoma | 20 May 1997 (aged 24) | Kawasaki Frontale | ||
21 | MF | Keita Endo | 22 January 1997 (aged 24) | Union Berlin | ||
10 | MF | Ritsu Doan | 16 June 1998 (aged 22) | Arminia Bielefeld | ||
18 | MF | Ryotaro Meshino | 18 June 1998 (aged 22) | Rio Ave | ||
17 | MF | Ao Tanaka | 10 September 1998 (aged 22) | Kawasaki Frontale | ||
11 | MF | Takefusa Kubo | 4 June 2001 (aged 20) | Getafe CF | ||
6 | MF | Wataru EndoOA | 9 February 1993 (aged 28) | VfB Stuttgart | ||
9 | FW | Daichi Hayashi | 23 May 1997 (aged 24) | Sagan Tosu | ||
25 | FW | Daizen Maeda | 20 October 1997 (aged 23) | Yokohama F. Marinos | ||
26 | FW | Ayase Ueda | 28 August 1998 (aged 22) | Kashima Antlers | ||
13 | FW | Kyosuke Tagawa | 11 February 1999 (aged 22) | FC Tokyo |
OA Over-aged player.
Recent call-ups
- The following players have been called up to a Japan under-23 squad in the past 12 months.
No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Club | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
DF | Teruki Hara | 30 July 1998 (aged 22) | Shimizu S-Pulse | |||
DF | Tsuyoshi Watanabe | 5 February 1997 (aged 24) | FC Tokyo | |||
DF | Shinya Nakano | 17 August 2003 (aged 17) | Sagan Tosu | |||
DF | Ayumu Seko | 7 June 2000 (aged 20) | Cerezo Osaka | |||
MF | Shunta Tanaka | 26 May 1997 (aged 24) | Consadole Sapporo | |||
MF | Kota Watanabe | 18 October 1998 (aged 22) | Yokohama F. Marinos | |||
Previous squads
Olympic Games
- 1996 Summer Olympics Squad
- 2000 Summer Olympics Squad
- 2004 Summer Olympics Squad
- 2008 Summer Olympics Squad
- 2012 Summer Olympics Squad
- 2016 Summer Olympics Squad
AFC U-23 Asian Cup
- 2013 AFC U-22 Championship Squad
- 2016 AFC U-23 Championship Squad
- 2018 AFC U-23 Championship Squad
Asian Games
- 2006 Asian Games Squad
- 2010 Asian Games Squad
- 2014 Asian Games Squad
- 2018 Asian Games Squad
Records
- As of 22 January 2021
- Players in bold are still active, at least at club level.
Most capped players
| Top goalscorers
|
Competitive record
Champions Runners-up Third place Fourth place
Olympic Games
|
|
AFC U-23 Asian Cup
|
|
Asian Games
|
|
See also
- Sports in Japan
- Football in Japan
- women's football in Japan
- Football in Japan
- Japan Football Association (JFA)
- Kirin Cup (Invitational tournament)
- Kirin Challenge Cup (International friendly match)
- Kirin Company
- National teams
- Men's
- International footballers
- National football team (Results (2020–present))
- National under-23 football team
- National under-20 football team
- National under-17 football team
- National futsal team
- National under-20 futsal team
- National beach soccer team
- Women's
- International footballers
- National football team (Results)
- National under-20 football team
- National under-17 football team
- National futsal team
References
- ^ Hyung-Jin Yoon (6 May 2006). "Japan - International Results U-23 (Olympic) Team [Malaysia (1) – Japan (1)]". RDFC. Archived from the original on 29 March 2016. Retrieved 29 March 2016.
- ^ "U-24 Japan National Team Squad - International Friendly Match (6/5@Fukuoka, 6/12@Aichi)". www.jfa.jp. Japan Football Association (JFA). 20 May 2021. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
- ^ "U-24日本代表メンバー 国際親善試合【6.5@福岡/ベスト電器スタジアム、6.12@愛知/豊田スタジアム】". Japan Football Association (JFA). 20 May 2021. Retrieved 20 May 2021.
External links
- Japan national under-23 football team – official website at JFA.jp (in English)
- Japan national team 2021 schedule at JFA.jp (in Japanese)