NEWS

In the run up to the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Japan will play up to 11 matches, it was announced on Tuesday.

Japan will play three friendly internationals: on February 2 in Oita, on April 7 and May 24. The opposition for these matches has yet to be decided.
The Samurai Blue will play two Asian Cup qualifiers – against Yemen on January 6 in Sana’a and against Bahrain on March 3 in Toyoda – and three matches in the East Asian Championship in Tokyo in February. These will be against China on February 6, Hong Kong on February 11 and Korea Republic on February 14.
From late May to early June, one warm-up match will take place in Japan and two more outside the country.
But the three-nation Kirin Cup tournament will not take place because of scheduling problems.