Wire flash
SportsJapan to face Venezuela in Kirin Challenge Cup on Sept 28
Editorial responsibility
- No named human review is recorded for this page.
- Source reporting is collected, normalized, translated or condensed automatically when needed.
- Automatically published source-backed update
The Japan Football Association announced on July 28 that the Japanese national team will host Venezuela in the Kirin Challenge Cup on September 28 at Edion Peace Wing Hiroshima Stadium, kickoff at 19:25 local time. The match will be broadcast live on Nippon Television and streamed via TVer. Japan head coach Hajime Moriyasu noted that despite Venezuela failing to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, they showed strong competitiveness in South American qualifiers. Moriyasu has faced Venezuela twice without a win and aims to secure victory this time. Venezuela is ranked 47th in the latest FIFA rankings. Historically, Japan and Venezuela have met five times, with one win each and three draws; Japan has scored five goals and conceded eight. This match is one of four international home games for Japan after their World Cup campaign, as they prepare for the 2027 Saudi Asian Cup.
Source report
Hupu Football News — July 28 — The Japan Football Association announced on July 28 that the Japanese national team will face Venezuela in the KIRIN Challenge Cup on September 28. The match will be held at the EDION Peace Wing Stadium in Hiroshima, with kickoff scheduled for 19:25 local time.
The game will be broadcast live on Nippon Television's national network and streamed online via TVer.
Japan head coach Hajime Moriyasu stated that although Venezuela failed to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, the team showed strong competitiveness against several strong opponents in the South American qualifiers. Moriyasu has faced Venezuela twice during his tenure as Japan's coach but has yet to secure a victory, so Japan will go all out to defeat their opponent in this match.
According to data released by the Japan Football Association, Venezuela is ranked 47th in the world in the FIFA rankings updated on July 20. Japan has faced Venezuela five times in history, with each side winning once and three matches ending in draws. Japan has scored 5 goals and conceded 8.
This match is one of four international games arranged on home soil for Japan after their World Cup campaign. The team will also prepare for the Saudi Arabia Asian Cup in January 2027.
Related Reading:
- [[Rumor] Sports Nippon: Japan's second half of the year will feature all matches against South American teams, including Brazil and Uruguay](kanqiu://bbs/topic/641224811)
Source: Japan Football Association Official Website
Source
虎扑 - 足球Regional
Part of this Story
Japan to Face Venezuela in Kirin Challenge Cup on September 28