South Korea suffered a shocking defeat to Indonesia. (Photo: Screenshot from the AFC website)
SEOUL, April 8 (Korea Bizwire) — As Japanese football continues to chart its path forward, a senior figure within the Japan Football Association (JFA) has urged the country’s football community to treat South Korea’s recent struggles as a cautionary example.
At a JFA technical committee briefing held Monday, Technical Director Masanaga Kageyama highlighted a series of poor results by South Korea’s national teams across age groups, warning that Japan could face a similar decline if it becomes complacent.
“We must treat Korea’s football downturn as a lesson,” Kageyama, 57, told reporters, emphasizing that Japan’s traditional rival is facing a notable slump in form. “Their decline didn’t happen overnight—it’s a signal that we too could falter if we lose focus.”
Kageyama pointed to two recent matches as indicators of Korea’s waning performance. In March, Japan’s university selection team defeated South Korea 1–0 in the annual Denso Cup, a long-running collegiate rivalry. “While the score was close, Korea failed to register a single shot on goal,” Kageyama noted, calling the performance deeply concerning.
He also referenced South Korea’s shock 0–1 loss to Indonesia on April 5 in the group stage of the AFC U-17 Asian Cup, currently underway in Saudi Arabia. Despite launching 21 shots, Korea managed just three on target, marking their first-ever defeat to Indonesia in this age group.
Though the JFA has not conducted a formal analysis of South Korean football, Kageyama offered his personal assessment. He suggested that Korea has drifted from its traditional playing identity, one that once emphasized physicality and tenacity. “They’re trying to emulate Japan’s passing game, but in the process, they’ve lost the wild, aggressive edge that used to define Korean football—and that we used to fear.”
Kageyama, a former J.League central defender and seasoned coach with stints leading teams in Macau, Singapore, and Japan’s U-20 squad, emphasized that Japan’s challenge lies in maintaining technical excellence while competing physically with global powers. “We’re committed to not going down the same road,” he said.
With Japan aiming to remain competitive ahead of the 2026 World Cup cycle, the JFA is doubling down on its development priorities—drawing motivation from a rival’s missteps to avoid repeating them.
Ashley Song (ashley@koreabizwire.com)
