Yoichiro Kakitani Analyzes Pre-World Cup Warm-up Matches! Praises Kento Shiogai's 'Incredible Hunger for Goals' / Reveals Passionate Words from Takumi Minamino Himself on 'If I Were the Coach' on 'ABEMA Sports Time'

New Future TV 'ABEMA' broadcast its sports program 'ABEMA Sports Time' live from 10 PM on Sunday, March 29, 2026, and free on-demand streaming began after the broadcast. Please check it out. https://abema.go.link/3mmz4

New Future TV 'ABEMA' broadcast its sports program 'ABEMA Sports Time' from 10 PM on Sunday, March 29, 2026.

This program aims to 'get ahead of the sports excitement' and is a new type of sports program. It delivers the latest information on popular sports, mainly baseball and soccer, live every Sunday night from 10 PM.

In this broadcast, former Japan national soccer team player Yoichiro Kakitani, who serves as a commentator, was joined by comedian Shinji Nishimura from the comedy duo Cotton as a guest, to discuss men's soccer.

■In-depth analysis of pre-World Cup warm-up matches! Yoichiro Kakitani's 주목 player is Kento Shiogai: 'His hunger for goals is incredible'

Also reveals words from his junior, Takumi Minamino

First, the program delved into the European tour, which is considered the final stage of World Cup squad selection. The Japan national team won 1-0 against Scotland, showing a promising performance. Kakitani praised the team, saying, 'It's wonderful that they secured the win,' and added, 'Players who hadn't played before were on the field, but this wasn't a test. It was necessary to assess how much power, equal to or greater than the so-called core players, could be demonstrated by players outside of that core.' He commended the team's high level of completion, noting that 'each player's positioning was good, and their vision was shared,' even with significant changes in the lineup.

Among them, Kakitani named forward Kento Shiogai as the most impressive player. He recalled, 'His hunger for goals is incredible. Even when a goal was scored, he didn't celebrate but showed frustration, as if he wanted to score it himself.' He highly evaluated Shiogai, stating, 'His attitude of trying to maximize his performance during this survival period contributes to strengthening the team. His success will be important for Japan's future.' Kakitani also analyzed Shiogai's strengths, saying, 'His sprinting ability to get into the goal area is very high. While it's difficult to sustain a sprint once you start, he understands his strengths and trains to increase the number of sprints he can make.' He concluded, 'Being able to repeat sprints many times is a huge weapon. I think it will be fully effective in competing against the world.'

Furthermore, when asked 'If you were the coach, who would you select for the World Cup squad from the players not called up this time?', Kakitani immediately replied, 'Takumi Minamino.' He explained, 'He's my junior from my Cerezo Osaka days, and it's unfortunate that he got injured at this timing, but I have expectations that Takumi will come back.' He added, 'He told me himself, 'Please watch me as I train to definitely make it in time,' so I'm just hoping for his return,' sending words of encouragement with hope for his recovery.

Regarding the use of defensive midfielder Daichi Kamada as an anchor, Kakitani commented, 'I felt like if Kamada was there, things would work out,' and added, 'It might be a difficult situation depending on the opponent, but it's significant that we could show the world that we have this option.' Nishimura likened this to 'If Kamada is there, things will work out, which for us is like Kawashima-san from Kirin,' drawing laughter from the studio.

【Video】Kakitani's most impressive player... first-time call-up Kento Shiogai! 'Will strengthen the team'

■Analyzing World Cup rival nations! Kakitani: 'Set pieces will decide the match' Group stage prediction is '2 wins and 1 draw'

The program also discussed rival nations that Japan will face in the World Cup group stage. Regarding the opening match against the Netherlands, Kakitani stated that 'individual strength will be important, not just tactics,' and pointed out that 'set pieces will decide the match.' He analyzed the key to the game, saying, 'In a situation where both teams cancel out each other's strengths tactically, set pieces are unavoidable. If you deal with tall players, space will definitely be created. Will goalkeeper Zion Suzuki come out and take the ball? The outcome might be decided by such set pieces.' He also predicted '2 wins and 1 draw' for the group stage results, expressing his hope for 'a first-place finish with this record.'

Furthermore, regarding the future of the Japan national team, he emphasized, 'Condition is everything. The most important thing is to avoid injuries,' and encouraged the players to 'adjust their condition and play boldly.'

At the end of the program, it was also announced that 'ABEMA Sports Time' will be renewed from April. It will now be broadcast once a month, with the broadcast time extended by 30 minutes to one hour, delivering more in-depth content with player voices and exclusive interview footage. The April broadcast will be on Tuesday, April 7, at 7 PM. Please look forward to this program, which will continue to convey the charm of sports more deeply and passionately.

■'ABEMA Sports Time' Overview

#129 Broadcast Date/Time: March 29 (Sun) 10:00 PM - 10:30 PM

Broadcast URL: https://abema.go.link/3mmz4

Cast:

【Commentators】

Yoichiro Kakitani

Shinji Nishimura (Cotton)

【Host】

Yuka Nishizawa

※When using images, please include the credit: 【(C)AbemaTV,Inc.】.