Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu told his players to maintain their focus on winning one game at a time, having set his team the lofty target of lifting the World Cup in North American in 2026. The Japanese have never progressed beyond the last 16 at the World Cup,

Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu said Thursday he expects a tough test against an Indonesian team filled with European-born players when the two sides clash in World Cup qualifying in Jakarta.

Indonesia coach Shin Tae-yong believes his team can continue to challenge for a place at the World Cup finals, despite reaching the halfway point in Asia's third round of preliminaries bottom of their qualifying group.

The Indonesian national team, who will face Japan in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, is relegated to the bottom position of the standings after China's victory over Bahrain.

In defense, newly naturalized player Kevin Diks, who plays for FC Copenhagen in Denmark, will make his debut in the starting lineup. He will join Jay Idzes, Rizky Ridho, and Justin Hubner in central defense, with Diks positioned on the right flank and Calvin Verdonk on the left.

Japan hammered a hapless Indonesia side 4-0 on Friday, extending their lead at the top of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup and edging them closer to an eighth consecutive spot at football's premier spectacle.

Japan thrashed Indonesia 4-0 in Jakarta on Friday as Hajime Moriyasu's relentless side moved seven points clear at the top of Group C of Asia's 2026 World Cup qualifiers and another step closer to an automatic finals spot.