Kyogo Furuhashi Returns to Japan National Squad

Celtic forward Kyogo Furuhashi has been called up to the Japan national team, marking his return after an absence of over a year from international play. His 21st and most recent cap was earned in a friendly victory against Tunisia in October of the previous year. Despite his strong performance since joining Celtic in 2021, Kyogo has seen limited involvement under Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu, who notably omitted him from the squads for the 2022 World Cup and the Asian Cup held this year. The 29-year-old player will join his Celtic colleagues, Daizen Maeda and Reo Hatate, in the Japan squad. They are set to participate in upcoming away World Cup qualifiers: against Indonesia on November 15, and then China four days later. This season, Kyogo, who was reportedly linked with a transfer to Manchester City over the summer, has netted six goals in 15 appearances for Celtic, who currently lead the Scottish Premiership. Coach Moriyasu stated, “I don’t need to tell you that he has achieved a lot and is a big presence in Europe with Celtic, and this time I have chosen him.” Moriyasu clarified that Kyogo is not a direct substitute for the team’s usual striker, Ayase Ueda, who was sidelined until 2025 last week after sustaining a hamstring injury while playing for his Dutch club, Feyenoord. The coach indicated his intention to leverage Kyogo’s strong finishing ability and work ethic. Moriyasu explained, “We want to create a structure where he can get goals first of all.” He added, “We also want him to work hard as the first point of defence, as he does for Celtic.” Moriyasu’s team currently leads Asian qualifying Group C with 10 points from four matches, holding a five-point advantage over Australia, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain. The top two teams in the group will automatically secure a spot in the World Cup in North America, while teams finishing in third and fourth positions will proceed to an additional qualifying round.