Japan will want to kick off their Asian 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign in the perfect manner, when they host the United Arab Emirates (UAE) at the Saitama Stadium on Thursday.
When it comes to Asian football, Japan are always amongst bigwigs, and their primary focus will be on qualifying as quickly and serenely as possible for Russia. To do that, they need to get off to a strong start, against a team that beat them in the AFC Asian Cup last year.
"When the draw was done, I said 'Yes' because we are going to play against a familiar rival – United Arab Emirates," Japan striker Shinji Okazaki told FIFA's official website. We lost against them in the last Asian Cup so we have a good opportunity of taking revenge.
Along with Japan and UAE, the other four teams that make up Group B are Australia, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Thailand, and Okazaki is expecting tough competition from them all.
"No teams in this group are easy to cope with, even Thailand," the Leicester City player added. "If you saw how they played in the last Asian Games, you will feel that the competition in Asia is getting tighter."
The UAE certainly showed that when they beat Japan in the Asian Cup, topping the Asian powerhouses on penalties after the match ended 1-1 in regulation. A 1-1 draw here will only get UAE a point, but with their first qualifier being away from home, and that too against one of the favourites to win Group B, a point will be a solid start for the team from the Emirates.
"We know it was a very sad moment for the Japanese team at the Asian Cup, and we know they will do all their best to win this game," UAE manager Mahdi Ali was quoted as saying by The National. "But it's simply a game for us and we'll do our best, regardless of what happened in the past.
"What happened in the past is history. That match was one year and eight months ago and in that time many things can change. For us, it's a new game. We don't live in the past. We look only for the future and how we are prepared for this coming match.
"We are not here to speak about revenge or whatever. We are here to play our best, fighting for our dream. We have a big dream, which was with us for a long time, and it's getting bigger and bigger. We will not let this dream slip away."
Where to Watch Live
Japan vs UAE is scheduled for a 7.35 p.m. local time (4.05 p.m. IST) start. TV and live streaming information below.
India: No live TV and online coverage.
Japan: TV: Asahi.
UAE and Middle East: Bein Sports Arabia. Live Streaming: Bein Sports Connect.
USA: TV: ESPN 3. Live Streaming: Watch ESPN.
China and Hong Kong: TV: LeTV.
