Kyogo Furuhashi has earned a recall to the Japan national team, ending a year-long absence from the Blue Samurai squad. The 29-year-old Celtic striker has been named by Japan manager Hajime Moriyasu for their upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Indonesia and China later this month.
Furuhashi’s return to the squad comes after an injury to regular striker Ayase Ueda, and he has been rewarded for his impressive form with Celtic this season. The former Vissel Kobe forward, who has earned 21 caps for Japan, will be joined in the squad by his Celtic teammates Daizen Maeda and Reo Hatate, both of whom have been frequent selections by Moriyasu over the past year.
Japan’s World Cup qualifying campaign continues with a match against Indonesia in Jakarta on Friday, November 15, followed by a trip to China on Tuesday, November 19. A win in either of these matches will secure Japan’s automatic qualification for the 2026 World Cup. The team currently leads Group C by five points.
Meanwhile, Celtic defender Cameron Carter-Vickers is confident that the Hoops have shown they can be a formidable force in the Champions League. Celtic’s dominant 3-1 win over RB Leipzig on Wednesday brought them to seven points from four matches and has given fans renewed hope of reaching the knockout stages.
Carter-Vickers noted that while there was a brief spell in the first half where they were under pressure, overall, Celtic produced a composed and worthy performance. Reflecting on their Champions League journey, he said: “This is our third year in the Champions League, and it’s been a process. We’ve grown in belief and confidence at this level.”
He added, “The opening game here was really good, and while we had a setback in Dortmund, the win in Atalanta showed that we can dig in and get through tough moments. Wednesday’s performance was a mix of our Bratislava and Atalanta games.”
Carter-Vickers emphasized that, while perfection is elusive, Celtic’s aim is to dominate every game, create chances, and maintain an attacking mindset. “We showed against a really good team that we can do that,” he said. “If we keep playing like this, we can be very dangerous, but it’s about maintaining that level and staying concentrated.”
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