Hiroshima: Head coach Hajime Moriyasu wants Japan to remain on their toes following their 5-0 win over Syria which ensured his side finished the Preliminary Joint Qualification – Round 2 for the FIFA World Cup 2026 and AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027™ with a perfect record.
Japan concluded their campaign with six straight wins and no goals conceded but Moriyasu knows the third round of the AFC Asian Qualifiers will be much more challenging and expects his players to remain sharp.
“We were facing a team that had to win, and the players got the result by working hard to prepare, doing the things that they had to do. But the final round coming up will be at a completely different level from the second round,” said Moriyasu. .....
EAST ASIAN FOOTBALL FEDERATION
NEWS / RELEASE
Language is changed ENGLISH
10MA TOPICS! [JAPAN FA][AFC ASIAN QUALIFIERS] Moriyasu wants Japan to stay sharp
+
10passion
![10MA TOPICS! [CHINA FA][AFC ASIAN QUALIFIERS] Ivankovic: China PR must work hard to move up to next level](https://image.eaff.com/index/7666.jpg)
![10MA TOPICS! [HONG KONG, CHINA FA][AFC ASIAN QUALIFIERS] Group E: Turkmenistan, Hong Kong, China bid farewell with stalemate](https://image.eaff.com/index/7665.jpg)
![10MA TOPICS! [JAPAN FA]【Match Report】SAMURAI BLUE thrash Syria 5-0 to finish top of their group in the FIFA World Cup 26™ / AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027™ Preliminary Joint Qualification with a perfect record and without conceding a single goal](https://image.eaff.com/index/7664.jpg)
![10MA TOPICS! [DPR KOREA FA][AFC ASIAN QUALIFIERS] Group B: DPR Korea power past Myanmar to advance](https://image.eaff.com/index/7663.jpg)
![10MA TOPICS! [NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS FA] CNMI welcomes int’l soccer star Saki Kumagai](https://image.eaff.com/index/7662.jpg)
![10MA TOPICS! [CHINESE TAIPEI FA][AFC ASIAN QUALIFIERS] Group D: Malaysia fight back to beat Chinese Taipei](https://image.eaff.com/index/7661.jpg)
![10MA TOPICS! [KOREA FA] Lee Kangin again on target as Korea Republic edge China 1-0](https://image.eaff.com/index/7660.jpg)
![10MA TOPICS! [CHINA FA][AFC ASIAN QUALIFIERS] Group C: China PR through despite defeat to Korea Republic](https://image.eaff.com/index/7659.jpg)
![10MA TOPICS! [KOREA FA][AFC ASIAN QUALIFIERS] Son applauds young Korea Republic teammates](https://image.eaff.com/index/7658.jpg)
![10MA TOPICS! [DPR KOREA FA][AFC ASIAN QUALIFIERS] Group B: DPR Korea 1-0 Syria](https://image.eaff.com/index/7657.jpg)