TOKYO – Japan will prepare for the opening match of their final round of 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifiers by playing Uruguay on August 20, the Japan Football Association (JFA) announced.
AFC
“This will be our only preparation match before our game against Bahrain,” Japan coach Takeshi Okada told reporters at JFA House on Friday.
“I think this match is crucial for us as our only test ahead of the Bahrain match so we are looking for a good performance against Uruguay to give us a boost for the final round (of World Cup qualifiers).”
The Kirin Challenge Cup match will be played in Sapporo – where Uruguay’s South American rivals Argentina and Ecuador both lost during the 2002 World Cup – and will mark the fourth meeting between Japan and the two-time World champions since 1985.
Japan’s quest to reach the final tournament for a fourth successive FIFA World Cup begins on September 6 when they play Bahrain for the fifth time since the three-time continental champions defeated the Gulf side 4-3 in the semi-finals of the 2004 AFC Asian Cup.
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