(Main Photo: The AFC)
Hello everyone!
I’m Asahi Ueda, an Asian football fanatic!
Japan’s triumphant victory in the AFC U-23 Asian Cup in Doha was a testament to their unwavering resilience. As a dedicated supporter of the team for over 30 years, this was a truly incredible moment for me.
Congratulations, Japan! And thank you, Japan!!
The AFC U-23 Asian Cup was not just a tournament, it was a fierce battle for the right to secure a ticket to the Paris Olympics. This victory marks the beginning of a new, even more competitive phase.
At the end of the hard-fought tournament, three teams, Japan, Uzbekistan, and Iraq, emerged as the representatives of Asia for the Paris Olympics. Each of these teams has its unique strengths and strategies, making the competition in the Olympics even more intense. Unfortunately, Indonesia, which came in fourth, lost in the inter-continental playoff and did not qualify for the Olympics. This outcome highlights the fierce competition in the tournament and the high stakes involved.
Double Standard & Different Priorities
I am more interested in this tournament’s “significance” of the AFC U-23 Asian Cup. I’m sure each country has a different way of thinking. Even though it’s a tournament to decide the Number-1 in Asia, many countries prioritize qualifying for the Olympics over becoming Asian U-23 champions.
After Uzbekistan won the semi-final and secured their spot in the Olympics, three leading players immediately withdrew from the tournament and returned to their clubs. If they had advanced to the third-place deciding match and the Olympics slot were still at stake, they probably wouldn’t have returned home. That tells us that qualifying for the Olympics is much more important than becoming the Asian U-23 champion.
Say, fans from countries where qualification for the Olympics is already out of reach will call it the “U-23 Asian Cup”. While fans of countries where the Olympics are still in sight call the AFC U-23 Asian Cup an “Olympic qualifier”, – that’s the reality.
Ueda Asahi with the Japanese Team (Photo Courtesy of Ueda Asahi)
Strong Countries’ Obstacles & Challenges
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.
And you wonder why?
So, the AFC U-23 Asian Cup didn’t fall on FIFA International week. There is no obligation for the clubs to release the players for the tournament. This posed a significant challenge for many teams, including Japan. Even though they are U-23 and below, many key players for this Japan U-23 team currently playing in Europe did not get released for the tournament. There were also cases where players prioritized their club commitment over the AFC U-23 Asian Cup in hopes that they could receive support from their clubs during the Olympics should Japan qualify. This situation had a profound impact on the team compositions and strategies, making the tournament even more competitive and unpredictable. So who are some of those missing key U-23 players from Japan?
They are Takefusa Kubo (Real Sociedad), Yuito Suzuki (Brøndby), Saien Suzuki (Sint-Truiden), Naoki Kumada (Genk II), Keisuke Goto (Anderlecht II), Kodai Sano (NEC), Koki Saito (Sparta), Shunsuke Mito (Sparta), Shio Fukuda (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Chase Henry (Stuttgart II), Yutaro Oda (Hearts), Taichi Fukui (Portimonense)…… You can make up a team with the list here.
And I heard South Korea, which lost to Indonesia and missed out on a 10th consecutive Olympic appearance, could also not call up three or four of their key players.
In such a situation, it does make sense that a country that has prepared well and can call up its best and full team for such a tournament could beat a good team that is missing many of its key players. This seems to be the new trend in Asia.
Japan winning AFC U-23 Aisan Cup (Photo courtesy of Ueda Asahi)
Japan’s Next Challenge For The Paris Olympics
Yes, we give credit where credit is due. The Japan U-23 team fought well and became Asian champions. I am proud of the players and staff. But there is a very worrying situation for this group of players that not many football fans will know; do you know that half of the players who have won this recently concluded AFC U-23 Asian Cup will not be going to the Paris Olympics?
Let me explain…
Twenty-three members fought in this U-23 tournament. However, there will only be 18 players for the Paris Olympics. Based on this point alone, five players from this group have already not been selected.
In this current U-23 generation, Japan still has some top players who are active overseas. For example, we have the world-famous Kubo Takefusa, Japan’s first team goalkeeper Zion Suzuki, Suzuki Yuito, who is gaining recognition in Europe, and Saito Hiroki, who is also a key figure in this team. In addition, three over-age first-team players will also be called up to beef up the team. All these alone will replace more than half of the team!
That’s right. It would not be an exaggeration to say that the final Paris-bound team will be completely new compared to the one that recently lifted the AFC U-23 Asian Cup.
Indonesia’s Arhan Pratama (top) & Malaysia’s Luqman Hakim (Photos Courtesy of Ueda Asahi)
My Final Thoughts
Japan is still the Asia U-23 champion. And the team we will put together for the Paris Olympics will be even stronger for sure!
Through this tournament, they succeeded in building up from the bottom and achieved two successes: qualifying for the Olympics and becoming Asian champions. Overall, it was a fruitful tournament for Japan.
And it was Indonesia that moved me. I even went to the venue to watch four of their games! As expected, the young stars who played in the Asian Cup in January are playing aggressively under manager Shin Tae-yong. I have nothing but good feelings about them. I’m sure the number of naturalized Dutch players will continue to increase. With that in mind, it’s only natural to think that they will become one of the giants of Southeast Asia.
On the other hand, Malaysia was a disappointment. I was hoping that the Malaysian national team would make an impact similar to the success of Johor Daryl Ta’zim (JDT), but… That’s how it felt. Despite that, I have high hopes for future star Lukman though. He’s one of the few ASEAN players playing in Japan now and I wish him all the best.
Keep your eyes on Japan at the Paris Olympics this summer. And support them. I’ll write another column from a Japanese perspective again!
UEDA ASAHI is one of Japan’s most recognizable and well-known football personalities, film directors, and entrepreneurs. Asahi is always known as the Man who will revolutionize the football ultra culture in Japan. He was also specially invited to the annual Best FIFA Awards 2022. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asahiman
