By Victor Kanayo
Japan became the first national team to qualify for the 2026 World Cup on Thursday.
This was after Daichi Kamada and Takefusa Kubo struck in the second half to earn Hajime Moriyasu’s side a 2-0 win over Bahrain at Saitama Stadium and confirm their place at next year’s finals.
The Asian country has now extended their run of successive appearances at the finals to eight.
The Japanese side led by coach Moriyasu has produced several impressive performances during the qualifying series, including a recent 3-1 victory over China.
They now sit top of Group C with an impressive 16 points.
At their eighth successive World Cup, Japan join co-hosts the United States, Canada and Mexico in the expanded 48-team tournament.
