Abu Dhabi: The UAE have been warned to beware of a star-studded Japan side expecting to qualify for a sixth straight Fifa World Cup at Russia 2018, but are offered encouragement over the Samurai Blue’s defensive slackness.

Gulf News spoke to Alan Gibson, the editor of the leading Japanese football publication JSoccer Magazine — Japanese Football in English, to get his insight into Japan’s preparations for Thursday’s opening Group B qualifier with the Whites in Saitama.

 

What is the mood in the Japan camp ahead of the UAE game? Are they confident of victory and what are the hopes of actually qualifying for the World Cup?

Since the ‘Doha Tragedy’ of 1993 [so called in Japan after they drew 2-2 with Iraq to miss out on qualification for the 1994 World Cup at the expense of arch-rivals South Korea], Japan have expected to qualify for every World Cup. This one is no different. The team has grown in leaps and bounds since 1998, to the point where they seriously expected to be World Cup semi-finalists. They came back to earth with a bang, though. But yes, nothing less than World Cup qualification will be acceptable.

 

Has there been any talk of revenge for the 2015 Asian Cup defeat to the UAE?

As in other parts of the footballing world, the press or TV will make a big deal of anything like this to sell the product, attract viewers, raise excitement, but in the team camp they seem to just want to take it as another important match to be won.

 

How good a team are Japan? What are their strengths and weaknesses and who are the key players and why?

The talent of Hidetoshi Nakata, Shunsuke Nakamura, Shinji Ono et al gave Japan something to build upon, but there has been a stagnation of talent since the likes of Keisuke Honda and Shinji Kagawa emerged. Japan is producing talent — as Bundesliga-watchers will attest to, and Leicester City fans too, of course. But there’s an abundance of creative midfielders with a lack of real goalscoring centre forwards.

In defence, full backs — or, more accurately, wing backs — a la Yuto Nagatimo, Atsuto Uchida, Hiroki Sakai and Gotoku Sakai — have also emerged, but the defensive part of their game is far from the best and a real solid, central defensive leader is lacking. Goals will come, but Japan-watchers must always expect a defensive lapse, too. Until that is improved upon, Japan won’t be winning a World Cup.

 

How do the Japanese assess the UAE? Do they fear them and, if so, where do they think the main threats will come from?

I believe that Japan feel they can win this match, but in typical Japanese fashion, no or few Japanese players will be saying that out loud. On the other hand, manager Vahid Halilhodzic has stated that he has watched various UAE losses from recent years and knows how to win this match. TV and newspapers have mentioned the obvious threat of Omar Abdul Rahman. I believe that the country, the team and the fans expect a win, but also a close game, as do I.

 

Asia World Cup qualifying fixtures, September 1 (Kick-offs UAE time):

 

Group B

Australia v Iraq 2.30pm

Japan v UAE 2.35pm

Saudi Arabia v Thailand 9.30pm

 

Group A

South Korea v China PR 3pm

Uzbekistan v Syria 7pm

Iran v Qatar 8.30pm