By David Gold
March 18 – Japan has been forced to cancel a friendly with New Zealand scheduled for March 29, due to be played in Tokyo, and will instead hold a charity match in Osaka, with their opponents yet to be confirmed.
The game will take place at the Nagai Stadium, with the New Zealand game cancelled due to concerns over power cuts, transportation problems and ultimately the safety of the fans, which was cited as the main reason for the decision.
The charity game could be against a New Zealand side, with the Oceanic country having recently suffered a devastating earthquake of their own.
The Japanese Football Association also said that they hope clubs across the world will make their Japanese players available for the game.
President of the Japanese Football Association Junji Ogura said:”I received a phone call from the president of the New Zealand FA early in the afternoon, and could understand that it was a tough decision they had to make following lengthy discussions.
“We wanted to make the charity match for both countries, but I am grateful to them for their consideration.”
The Japanese national coach Alberto Zaccheroni and players have expressed their wish to do something, and the Japanese FA said that they wanted to show the world that they were “fighting hard against their current difficulties.”
Zaccheroni commented: “We are learning of immense damage every day, every moment, and I would like to see this charity match as the first action in assisting the victims in their recovery.”
J. League Chairman Kazumi Ohigashi added: “We have received the request to hold a charity match from our clubs and players.
“We know some clubs are not functioning at the moment but would like to talk with all concerned to form the strongest available team for the game.”
Makoto Hasebe, the Japan captain, said: “The only thing we can do is play football.
“It may not be much, but that’s how we would like to encourage the Japanese people, I am heading back home to Japan to take part in this charity match for them.”
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