At the pre-match press conference for the 18-team tournament hosting China, Japan head coach Mori Baoichi conveyed his team's preparations and expectations for the upcoming match in a calm and determined manner.
Mori Baoichi began by emphasizing the importance of the World Qualifying Tournament, stating, "Hello everyone, starting tomorrow, we will have the final stage of the Asian Qualifying Tournament for the 2026 World Cup. This is a crucial time and we will do our best to prepare well and make sure we can make it through the Asian Qualifiers. Our goal is very clear and that is to win."
When talking about the two key players in the team, Kaoru Mitaka and Junya Ito, Mori Baoichi spoke highly of them. He said, "Please watch their performance in the game. There is no doubt that both of them are important weapons for Japan. Their speed and breaking ability on the field pose a big threat to the team. I expect them to maximize their strengths during their time on the pitch and to be involved in scoring goals first and foremost. They are all the type of players who are willing to work at full strength and I am confident that they will be able to lead the whole team forward."
For the upcoming opponent China, Mori Baoichi also showed enough respect and vigilance. He analyzed, "China is a very powerful team. They have excellent players and tactical system, we can't take it lightly. We need to analyze the results, study how to play offense and defense, and make everyone's role as clear as possible. During the game, we have to respect our opponents but also play at our best to make sure we can give our best performance."
