A spot in the knockout stage of the 2023 AFC Asian Cup is within reach for record four-time champions Japan as they battle Iraq on Friday at Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan.
For a team that is 17th in the world rankings, and heading into the tournament in red-hot form, Japan were expected to comfortably see off Vietnam in their Group D opener on Sunday. However, Hajime Moriyasu's side surprisingly found themselves 2-1 down after 33 minutes played at Al Thumama Stadium in Doha.
The Samurai Blue, though, bounced back from that early scare to claim a 4-2 victory against Vietnam, with Monaco's Takumi Minamino bagging a brace and Reims' Keito Nakamura restoring the lead late in the first half.
Iraq, meanwhile, kicked off their Asian Cup campaign with a thumping 3-1 victory against Indonesia on Monday to continue their march towards the trophy that has eluded them for 17 years. A surprise win against a star-studded Japanese side here would effectively seal the Lions of Mesopotamia's place in the next round of the competition.
Here GOAL brings you everything you need to know about how to watch, including TV channel, streaming details and more.
Iraq vs Japan kick-off time
| Date: | Friday, January 19, 2024 |
| Kick-off time: | 6:30 am ET |
| Venue: | Education City Stadium |
The AFC Asian Cup match between Iraq and Japan will be played at the Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan, Qatar.
It will kick off at 6:30 am ET on Friday, January 19, 2024, in the United States (US).
How to watch Iraq vs Japan online - TV channels & live streams
 | Paramount+ | Watch here |
 | CBS Golazo Network | Watch here |
In the US, the game is available to watch and stream online live through Paramount+ and CBS Golazo Network.
Fans who are unable to watch the game can follow the live action on GOAL.
Team news & squads
Iraq team news
Iraq made only one change to their starting XI from their friendly versus South Korea, with former Manchester United midfielder Zidane Iqbal coming in to replace Montader Madjed for the 3-1 opening-day victory against Indonesia. Head coach Jesus Casas is likely to keep changes to a minimum for Friday's encounter against Japan.
Iraq possible XI: Hassan; H. Ali, Natiq, Adnan, Doski; Rashid, Resan; Bayesh, Jasim, Amyn; M. Ali.
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers: | Talib, Sulaka, Hassan |
| Defenders: | Ali, Natiq, Putros, Adnan, Mohideen, Doski, Tahseen, Yahya |
| Midfielders: | Amyn, Bayesh, Iqbal, Resan, Hashim, Al-Ammari, Jasim, Allee, Rashid, Madjed |
| Forwards: | Al-Hamadi, Ali, Hussein, Al-Saed |
Japan team news
Brighton & Hove Albion fleet-footed winger Kaoru Mitoma missed Japan's opening encounter due to an ankle injury, but head coach Hajime Moriyasu expects he will be ready later in the group stage. Takumi Minamino's first-half brace over the weekend helped Japan reclaim momentum and turn the tide in their campaign opener.
Japan possible XI: Suzuki; Sugawara, Itakura, Taniguchi, H. Ito; Endo, Morita; J. Ito, Minamino, Kubo; Ueda.
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers: | Maekawa, Suzuki, Nozawa |
| Defenders: | Taniguchi, Itakura, Watanabe, Nakayama, Machida, Maikuma, Tomiyasu, Ito, Sugawara |
| Midfielders: | Endo, Ito, Asano, Minamino, Morita, Mitoma, Maeda |
| Forwards: | Hatate, Doan, Ueda, Nakamura, Sano, Kubo, Hosoya |
Head-to-Head Record
| Date | Match Score | Competition |
|---|---|---|
| 06/13/17 | Iraq 1-1 Japan | Int. Friendly Games |
| 06/10/16 | Japan 2-2 Iraq | Int. Friendly Games |
| 11/06/15 | Japan 4-0 Iraq | Int. Friendly Games |
| 01/16/15 | Iraq 0-1 Japan | AFC Asian Cup |
| 06/11/13 | Iraq 0-1 Japan | World Championship Qual. AFC |