Preview:Japan vs Bolivia - prediction, team news, lineups

Japan will face Bolivia in a friendly match at the National Stadium in Tokyo on Tuesday as both sides continue their preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The hosts have a number of exciting players at their disposal and have already qualified for the tournament, while the South American side will be hoping to join them through the inter-confederation playoffs.

Match preview

Japan booked their spot at the World Cup by finishing top of their group in qualifying, with Hajime Moriyasu's side proving a dominant force.

The Blue Samurai picked up 23 points from their 10 qualifiers, netting a whopping 30 goals and conceding only three as they amassed seven wins, two draws and just one defeat in the third round of AFC qualifying.

Feyenoord striker Ayase Ueda played a key role in their campaign, scoring eight goals in 11 games, while NEC Nijmegen star Koki Ogawa and Crystal Palace's Daichi Kamada notched six and five respectively.

Japan sealed qualification with three games to spare after beating Bahrain 2-0 in March and they have suffered just two defeats in the 11 games they have played since then, losing to Australia and the USA.

A 3-2 comeback victory over Brazil in October proved Japan can go toe to toe with the world's best and they come into Tuesday's game off the back of a 2-0 win over Ghana on Friday.

Bolivia, meanwhile, will be hoping to cause an upset and build some momentum ahead of the playoffs in March as they look to reach their first World Cup since 1994.

Exact details for the playoffs have yet to be confirmed, but the Green will be one of six nations from five confederations that are set to compete for two spots at the World Cup.

Bolivia reached the playoffs by finishing seventh in CONMEBOL qualifying, amassing 20 points from 18 games, and they picked up a notable 1-0 win over Brazil in the process.

Since that victory, Bolivia have beaten Jordan and suffered defeats to Russia and South Korea.

However, head coach Oscar Villegas does have a lot of young talent at his disposal, including 20-year-old defender Diego Arroyo, 21-year-old winger Miguelito and 21-year-old striker Enzo Monteiro.

Japan International Friendlies form:

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Japan form (all competitions):

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Bolivia International Friendlies form:

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Bolivia form (all competitions):

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Team News

Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo has been recalled after missing Japan's friendlies against Paraguay and Brazil in October through injury, but he may have to settle for a place on the bench.

Fellow Premier League stars Kamada and Ao Tanaka are in contention to start, while Brighton & Hove Albion winger Kaoru Mitoma remains absent from the squad with an ankle issue.

Ueda is expected to continue leading the line ahead of Ogawa, with Takumi Minamino and Takefusa Kubo providing attacking support after they notched a goal and an assist respectively against Ghana on Friday.

Bolivia will be without captain Luis Haquin after his issues obtaining a visa to enter South Korea and Japan forced them to call up 19-year-old defender Marcelo Jesus Torrez as a replacement.

Fellow defender Richet Gomez earned his first international call-up this month and made his debut off the bench against South Korea, while John Garcia and Fernando Nava were recalled for the first time since March 2022 and August 2023 respectively.

Monteiro is expected to start up front, with Miguelito and Nava likely to continue out wide ahead of Jose Martines and Gustavo Peredo.

Japan possible starting lineup:

Hayakawa; Watanabe, Suzuki, Taniguchi; Doan, Sano, Kamada, Nakamura; Kubo, Minamino; Ueda

Bolivia possible starting lineup:

Viscarra; Medina, Torrez, Arroyo, Fernandez; Matheus, Vaca, Villamil; Miguelito, Monteiro, Nava