Japan shun Kagawa for bid to reclaim Asian Cup
TOKYO: Japan dropped former Manchester United star Shinji Kagawa from the Blue Samurai’s bid to reclaim the Asian Cup, opting instead for a squad filled with young Europebased talents.
Coach Hajime Moriyasu on Wednesday selected several players with only a handful of caps to their names for Asia’s showcase football tournament in the United Arab Emirates starting in January.
The likes of Ritsu Doan of Groningen, Shoya Nakajima of Portimonense and Takumi Minamino of Salzburg will lead Japan’s bid for a recordextending fifth title.
But there was no place for midfielder Kagawa, 29, now struggling for playing time at Borussia Dortmund.
Kagawa has long been among the leading stars of Blue Samurai and at his German outfit, but the attacking player has found himself unable to get regular first-team football under Dortmund coach Lucien Favre.
He told Japanese media last month that he wished to move to Spain to take on a new challenge.
Moriyasu suggested he had been tempted to turn to veterans like Kagawa, but said he needed to pick players in their best form.
“Of course, I wanted help from experienced players, those who went to the Russian World Cup and those who have led Japan for years,” Moriyasu told a press conference.
“Many of the players whom we selected at this time have only limited experiences. I have chosen them with hopes that they would take the ownership of the team and build the national team themselves and fight for the title,” he said. — AFP SEOUL: North Korea have named one of their own citizens to manage their football team, state media said Wednesday, more than six months after the departure his Norwegian predecessor.
Kim Yong Jun, a 35-yearold retired midfielder, will take the side to the 2019 AFC Asian Cup, the North’s official KCNA news agency said.
His appointment came after Norwegian ex-striker Jorn Andersen did not extend his two-year contract with the isolated country, which is under multiple sanctions over its nuclear weapon and ballistic missile programmes.
As a player Kim helped the North qualify for the 2010 FIFA World Cup before becoming coach to a Pyongyang team.
North Korea are currently ranked 109th in the world. - AFP