Word Cup Qualifiers: Myanmar to play Japan today

Myanmar will take on Asian powerhouse Japan today for the Asian Stage World Cup Qualifiers 2026 today (6:40 pm) at home stadium Thuwunna in Yangon.
In the first round meeting, the Japanese team won by five goals. After playing four games, team Japan won all four games and scored 12 points, while the Myanmar team has yet to win and only has one point. Due to the difference in football skills, team Myanmar will not easily get points from the Japanese team, and they will have to try to concede fewer goals.
The Japanese squad sees many European-class players, including Tomiyasu from Arsenal FC, Endo from Liverpool FC, Kamada from Lazio FC, Minamino from Monaco FC, Kubo from Real Sociedad and Ueda from Feyenoord FC.
The pre-match press conference for the match was held on 5 June, and the head coaches of both teams attended.
Myanmar head coach Feichtenbeiner said, “The match against the Japanese team is really a big challenge for us. Team Japan is one of the top 20 teams in the World Cup, and it has world-class players. We will prepare the defence with the best priority and try to produce good results from the opportunities we get. The fans are also expected to be patient and support the team. I believe that if all the players and fans work together, we will have chances to score goals like the games against North Korea and Syria.
Japan national team head coach Moriyasu said, “The game against Myanmar will be a difficult one. The home fans will also support team Myanmar, so it may be difficult to face the squad. But we will try to seize the win. The Myanmar team is improving fast, so we will compete hard,’’ he said. — Ko Nyi Lay/KZL