“So, my country, Japan, won the AFC U-23 Asian Cup. But it came as a surprise to me. Of course, I believed in them and cheered for them. But then again, Japan didn’t exactly gather the best team for the tournament. It was far from the team that they had built up until now, and in fact, it was the most worrisome thing they had ever done since the team was formed, including the preparation period”
“Unlike the temporary break in Chinese football, Malaysian football development is more substantial, as it has proven for the past ten years. Credit has to be given to the HRH Crown Prince for sure. He not only reinforced the first team by injecting high-calibre players such as Jordi Amat, Shane Lowry, Pablo Aimar and more, but he also invested heavily in developing the training centre and the stadium and possessed a long-term vision for the club. Yes, all these might look easy on paper, but the HRH Crown Prince is the one who showed it by action. I have nothing but great respect for him”
“think the hierarchy of Asian football has changed so much. People see Japan as one of Asia’s strongest, if not the strongest, football nation. Just looked at the Iraqi victory against Japan. With no disrespect, the Iraqis fought well, beat one of the AFC Asian Cup’s favourites, and celebrated like they had won the Cup. It was a massive victory for the Iraqis”
“I have been following football worldwide and am used to seeing teams with massive supporters. But when I came to this 3-time Indian Super League runner-up (since 2014), especially after having experienced the match at the stadium in person and witnessing how everyone cheered and sang for the team, I was impressed with the football passion in the city, considering the team is not a renowned international team yet. After my last visit, they have gained a new supporter in me”
“Japan missed the 1994 World Cup in the United States with just seconds remaining. And for the 1998 World Cup in France, Japan won the playoffs with a golden goal. It was because of these two ‘hells’ (Doha-1993, where the Japanese cried) and ‘heaven’ (Johor Bahru-1997, where we got our revenge and cried tears of joy) that Japanese football improved drastically.
Southeast Asian countries will also soon experience their own ‘heaven’ and ‘hell’ as Southeast Asia will play one of the most exciting, if not the most exciting, World Cup Qualifiers in the World Cup”
