JAPAN PREPARES TO STEP INTO UNKNOWN WITH PALESTINE OPENER

Easy does it: Japan’s players run laps at a training session Sunday in Cessnock, Australia.(Photo: The Japan Times)

Cessnock, Australia, 15 Rabiul Awwal 1436/6 January 2015 (MINA) – Japan’s senior players have admitted to feeling a sense of trepidation as they prepare to enter uncharted territory and face war-torn Palestine in their opening match of the Asian Cup next week.

Palestine has beaten seemingly insurmountable odds to earn the right to play Asia’s top sides, friendly matches being canceled, the restricted movement of players and a bloody conflict with Israel just a few of the obstacles the players have had to overcome, The Japan Times quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) as reporting.

Palestine, despite having to field a weakened team due to players being blocked from moving outside the country, beat the Philippines 1-0 in the AFC Cup final to seal its first ever Asian Cup qualification.

Now the tournament underdogs will look to win over the hearts of neutral soccer fans and hope they can prolong their fairy-tale campaign with good results against Japan, 2007 champions Iraq and Jordan in first-round Group D.

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So what do champions Japan, already having to deal with additional pressure following its coach’s alleged involvement in a match-fixing scandal, know about Palestine ahead of their first ever meeting at senior international level?

“I see a lot of footage of them involved in conflict,” said defender Maya Yoshida, of English Premier League side Southampton.

Yoshida, speaking to Kyodo News after a 7-0 win over the Lambton Jaffas, a local team, in a practice match at Japan’s base camp in Cessnock, said the lack of information on Palestine was a little unnerving ahead of their match in Newcastle on Jan. 12.

The 26-year-old knows from experience, having canceled out his own goal with an injury-time equalizer as Japan avoided a massive upset against Jordan in their 1-1 opening draw at the 2011 Asian Cup in Qatar.

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“The first game is always difficult and when you don’t have a great deal of information about your opponents then it can be scary,” he said.

“That could change depending on what comes out in the meetings we have in the team from now.”

Captain Makoto Hasebe added, “I haven’t seen anything of the Palestinians at all, (but) it was the same when we played Jordan last time (in 2011).

“Palestine have got nothing to lose. They have qualified for the finals and it is important that we prepare for the game against them properly.”

Ashraf Al Fawaghra, with 14 goals Palestine’s joint top-scorer, is under no illusion as to the task he and his teammates are facing, but promised they would rise to the occasion.

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“This is a historic occasion for us as it is our first Asian Cup,” Al Fawaghra, better known as Nu’man, told FIFA.com.

“Our goal is to let the world know that the Palestinian national team are moving forward despite the difficulties facing us. We want to convey the message that the Palestinian players have the right to play and develop. Furthermore, we want to bring a smile back to the faces of our people and make our fans happy.”

He added, “The opener against Japan will be a hard match for us as they are considered as one of Asia’s best teams.

“The Japanese players are better than us, but we will give our all and perform to our highest level,” he said. (T/P011/P3)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)