Japan U23 took a perfect start to their Asian Games campaign with a 2:0 victory over Hong Kong U23 in Group Stage - 1 on 16 September 2026. H. Ishii gave the hosts the lead in the 37th minute before S. Nagano doubled the advantage on 89 minutes. The result leaves Japan top of the standings with three points from one game, while Hong Kong sit fourth with none.
Japan controlled the flow from the outset. They registered 134 attacks against 48 for their visitors and held 71 per cent possession. The hosts took 12 attempts on goal, of which two found the net, while Hong Kong managed two shots on target with a higher accuracy rate of 50 per cent. It was a case of quantity over quality for the visitors.
By then the game had settled into a rhythm the hosts dictated. Japan earned 13 corners to Hong Kong's three and saw the ball go out for throw-ins 28 times compared with 19. The visitors won 12 free-kicks but could not turn possession into clear-cut chances. The difference in end product was stark.
The manager made heavy changes in the second half, bringing on six players across three windows. Y. Michiwaki, S. Furuya and M. Udebuluzor came on together in the 62nd minute, followed by K. Korani in the 68th. Y. Ozeki and M. Sato replaced two more in the 75th, while S. Ishibashi and Ng Yu-Hei entered in the 79th and 85th respectively.
The win extends Japan's recent form. Their last five matches include four victories and a draw, including wins over Qatar U23 and the United Arab Emirates U23. Hong Kong, meanwhile, have lost their last four outings on record and are chasing their first points of the tournament.