Doha, Qatar: Japan have been leaking goals in the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023, which midfielder Hidemasa Morita (pictured) admits is a concern going into their quarter-final against Iran today. Japan conceded six goals en route to the quarter-finals and Morita said the four-time champions have been paying attention to this aspect of their game, with Iran sure to punish the East Asian side for errors.
“The game against Bahrain (in the Round of 16) was difficult but as you saw, we managed to score three goals and that was a positive thing for us.
“However we still conceded and I don’t think we have kept a clean sheet in the tournament and this is something we must improve on,” said the 28-year-old, who plays his club football for Portuguese side Sporting CP.
Defensive frailties aside, Morita feels Japan have improved as the tournament has progressed and is confident of advancing to the semi-finals.
“We only had two days to prepare so it’s going to be a tough game but I’m confident that we can play a good match.
“As with the group stage and the Bahrain one, we are improving. We are growing into the tournament but at the same time, we have to remain open to improving game by game.”
