Japan v Brazil LIVE: Kick-off time, team news and build-up for glamour friendly in Singapore

Japan defender Yukinari Sugawara is sad to see what is expected to be the end of Hajime Moriyasu’s time as Japan boss.

The veteran coach will likely leave the national team prematurely, following the postponement of the 2027 Asian Cup, with Under-23 coach Go Oiwa stepping up after this international break and games against Brazil and Paraguay.

“It’s always sad,” Sugawara told ESPN. “To see he will leave. I don’t know. We’re not sure.

“I think the association has not decided anything yet so we have to see the situation, but we can guess these two games will be the last games for him.

“We have to think about it and do something special.”

“My expectations are good. Obviously, we are going through a period of rebuilding with new players, but I see players with a lot of quality and a great desire to give everything they can for the national team shirt,” said Raphinha.

“This is a match of World Cup calibre, as we saw at the last World Cup. It will be a very difficult game because we know the quality of Japan’s national team.”

“The World Cup closed a cycle for a generation of players,” Ancelotti told reporters ahead of friendlies against Japan and Singapore.

“We are now building a new generation to be focused and competitive in our next official competitions: the Copa America in 2028 and the World Cup in 2030.

“I think we have a lot of potential. We are looking at young players, including some new players here, and we are very satisfied with what we are seeing.

“We have young players with a lot of quality and talent, so we look to the future with confidence.”