Japan's Asian Cup preparations have reportedly gone from bad to worse after only 10 players turned up for the squad's training camp. Only eight of coach Ivica Osim's preliminary squad of 30 were able to practice on Sunday, with two players injured and 20 opting to stay with their clubs. "With J-League games taking place at the weekend, clubs and players were entitled to make their own decision about the camp, but the extraordinary number of stay-aways will have alarmed the Bosnian," Alastair Himmer reported for Reuters.
Osim has already slammed Japan's Asian Cup preparations as a joke, blaming the J-League schedule for a lack of time together with his players. He is partucularly upset that most of his players have club commitments before Japan's Asian Cup opener against Qatar on 9 July. The Asian Cup holders will assemble for a final three-day training camp before flying to Vietnam on 4 July for their Group B games in Hanoi.
Celtic midfielder Shunsuke Nakamura was one of the few players who braved the pouring rain, putting training ahead of a family get-together on his 29th birthday. "I don't know how many more birthdays I'll have as a Japan player," Nakamura was quoted as saying in Monday's Japanese media. "I just hope I can bring some creativity and experience to the side."
Osim has already slammed Japan's Asian Cup preparations as a joke, blaming the J-League schedule for a lack of time together with his players. He is partucularly upset that most of his players have club commitments before Japan's Asian Cup opener against Qatar on 9 July. The Asian Cup holders will assemble for a final three-day training camp before flying to Vietnam on 4 July for their Group B games in Hanoi.
Celtic midfielder Shunsuke Nakamura was one of the few players who braved the pouring rain, putting training ahead of a family get-together on his 29th birthday. "I don't know how many more birthdays I'll have as a Japan player," Nakamura was quoted as saying in Monday's Japanese media. "I just hope I can bring some creativity and experience to the side."