On Thursday 3 June, the Mongolia National Team arrived in Japan ahead of their match against the Kyrgyz Republic National Team at Yanmar Stadium Nagai on Monday 7 June. The fixture is one of the remaining fixtures of Group F in the second round of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ / AFC Asian Cup China PR 2023™ Preliminary Joint Qualification. The Mongolia National Team, who has appointed Mr. MASE Shuichi as their new coach in April, will start their training sessions on Friday 4 June at Osaka.

Coach and Players’ Comments

MASE Shuichi, Coach
While I was in Japan, the players and staffs were in Mongolia, so the Mongolia National Team could be the first team in the world to hold a remote training camp. Although I was named as their coach, I was not coaching at all. My job was to convey the tactical training menu and the focal points to the staffs in Mongolia and trusted the players to execute the drills. However, this method turned out to have more upsides than we expected. The players were more involved in the sessions and communicated a lot more than we have seen in the past. I was monitoring the training sessions and meetings online, but I was able to see their intensity and enthusiasm through the screen.

Our next match against Kyrgyz Republic will be our final match at this qualifiers, but it will also be my first step as the coach of the Mongolia National Team. After watching their matches in the past, I am getting the impression that the Mongolia National Team is not reaching their full potential on the football pitch. We know what they are capable of doing in Sumo wrestling, but when they are playing with 10 other players on the pitch, they seem clueless. So that is the first step I must address as their coach. To be effective on the pitch, you need to understand the principles of football. Although it sounds like a long process, the players are responding at an enormous pace.

The environment surrounding football can be vastly different from one country to another. Some countries may have restarted their football leagues and held training camps at a regular basis. The domestic league is yet to start in Mongolia this year, and some players hadn’t even touched the ball before getting called up to the national team training camp. We also had a player who just recently played 90 minutes for the first time this year. Despite the harsh circumstance, we need to work together as a team and try to showcase what we have been working on thus far. We have a good mix of youngsters and veterans this year. We will try to make the most of the five substitutions we are allowed to use in the match.

Tsend-Ayuush KHURELBAATAR
I think Japan is one of the most advanced countries in the world. I have visited Japan three times to play football, but I am very happy to be back here again. I have the impression that Japan is very fast team. Our goal is to earn three points, and we have been working hard to achieve that goal. The outcome of this match can have impact on the other teams in our group, so we understand that this is a crucial match. Working together with our new coach and young players, I hope to showcase a performance that can lead the team to victory.

Khash-Erdene TUYA
This is my first visit to Japan, so I am very excited. When the team faced Japan at Saitama Stadium, I was injured and watched the match from my home. I am one of the youngest players on this squad, so I am thrilled to be selected into this team. I will give best efforts for the Mongolia National Team.

FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ / AFC Asian Cup China PR 2023™
Preliminary Joint Qualification - Round 2

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