According to Yahoo Japan, after defeating New Zealand to win the Kirin Cup, Hajime Moriyasu stated that the Japan national team would continue to grow in order to become the world's number one, and that this match served as preparation for the Asian Cup.

On October 5, the Japan national team faced New Zealand at the National Stadium in the 2026 Kirin Cup final.

In the 28th minute, Ao Tanaka scored to give Japan the lead, but in the 32nd minute, New Zealand equalized. In the 71st minute of the second half, Ritsu Doan scored to restore Japan's lead, and Japan ultimately won 2-1, claiming the championship after 15 years.

In a post-match interview, Moriyasu reflected, "New Zealand is also a strong team that has participated in the World Cup, so it was a very tough match." He then praised his players, saying, "Today we tried a four-man defense, and the players fought hard from the start, being more proactive in taking on this challenge than our opponents." In this series of four matches scheduled for September and October, Japan won all four games. On November 14, they will play against Brazil, and on November 17, they will face Paraguay. In January, they will compete in the Asian Cup.

Moriyasu stated, "To become the world's number one in the future, we will continue to grow and continue to take on challenges." He added, "Today's match was good preparation for the Asian Cup in terms of how to handle opponents who play with a compact defense. I want to turn this experience into growth."

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