Japan seal quarter-final place with clinical victory against Bahrain

31-Jan-2024 16:31:50 | The Guardian

Ritsu Doan, Takefusa Kubo and Ayase Ueda on target in 3-1 win
Manager Hajime Moriyasu says Japan ‘can still improve’

Japan eased into the quarter-finals of the Asian Cup with a clinical 3-1 victory over Bahrain in Qatar with goals from Ritsu Doan, Takefusa Kubo and Ayase Ueda.

Bahrain’s coach, Juan Antonio Pizzi, had been looking to heal old wounds after his Saudi Arabia team lost to Japan at the same stage in 2019 but Hajime Moriyasu’s side put in a commanding performance and rarely looked troubled. Japan, four-times champions, will face the winner of the final last-16 tie between Iran and Syria.