Doha: The Japanese national team players presented themselves as exceptional model in the world of football, especially during their participation in the FIFA World Cup, which is currently being held in Qatar.
Despite their loss to Croatia, on Monday evening, on penalties and their exit from the round of 16, this did not deter them from expressing their thanks to Qatar in a distinctive way.
On Monday, the penalty shootout led Croatia to victory over Japan, after the regular time of the match that brought them together, at Al Janoub Stadium, ended in a 1-1 draw, in the round of 16 competitions in the World Cup Qatar.
Japan failed to score 3 out of 4 strikes, while Croatia succeeded in scoring 3, to qualify for the quarter-finals of the tournament, where it set a date with Brazil.
Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu bowed in front of his country’s fans after the end of the match with Croatia, as the Japanese bid farewell to the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Coach Hajime did not hesitate to bow before his country’s fans and apologize for the exclusion.
The team left the dressing room after the match, with a message of thanks to Qatar for the quality of organization and the warm welcome.
The dressing room appeared to be in excellent condition, clean and tidy, as if no one had entered it or used its facilities.
In addition, the players left behind Origami swans and a thank you note in Japanese and Arabic, on which they wrote, “Thank you Qatar for hosting us. We are grateful to you.”
On Tuesday, December 6, the International Federation of Football Associations (FIFA) commented on the scenes, saying, “Their journey in the tournament may have ended, but the Japanese Samurai national team players, staff, and fans certainly left their mark for the last time in the Qatar 2022 World Cup.”
After the last whistle that announced Croatia’s qualification to the quarter-finals, and the team coach and players cried to stir feelings, and some tried to console the fans.
This behaviour was not the only one by the Japanese fans, as they did so for the first time after the end of the Qatar-Ecuador match, at the opening of the current version of the World Cup, which was held at Al-Bayt Stadium on Sunday, November 20, 2022, even though their national team is not playing.
