Asian Cup: Japan plays experience card as Honda, Okazaki, Kagawa named in 23-man squad

DEFENDING champions Japan have opted for plenty of experience in their 23-man squad for next month’s Asian Cup in Australia.

OSAKA, JAPAN - NOVEMBER 18: Keisuke Honda of Japan tests Aziz Behich of Australia during the international friendly match between Japan and Australia at Nagai Stadium on November 18, 2014 in Osaka, Japan. (Photo by Kaz Photography/Getty Images)

JAPAN coach Javier Aguirre opted for experience as he named his 23-man squad for next month’s Asian Cup in Australia, where the defending champion will be bidding for a record fifth title.

Aguirre named Europe-based regulars including Keisuke Honda of AC Milan, Shinji Okazaki of Mainz and Borussia Dortmund’s Shinji Kagawa.

Drawn in Group D with Palestine, Jordan and Iraq, Japan has dominated the continental competition over the past two decades, winning in 1992, 2000, 2004 and 2011.

Aguirre insistedhis team won’t be distracted by Spanish media reports that authorities in Spain are moving to prosecute him and some 30 others on suspicion of fixing a league game against Levante when the 56-year-old Mexican managed Zaragoza in May 2011.

Squad: Goalkeepers - Eiji Kawashima (Standard Liege, Belgium), Masaaki Higashiguchi (Gamba Osaka), Shusaku Nishikawa (Urawa Reds) Defenders - Yuto Nagatomo (Inter Milan, Italy), Masato Morishige (FC Tokyo), Kosuke Ota (FC Tokyo), Atsuto Uchida (Schalke 04, Germany), Tsukasa Shiotani (Sanfrecce Hiroshima), Maya Yoshida (Southampton, England), Gotoku Sakai (Stuttgart, Germany), Gen Shoji (Kashima Antlers) Midfielders - Yasuhito Endo (Gamba Osaka), Yasuyuki Konno (Gamba Osaka), Makoto Hasebe (Eintracht Frankfurt, Germany), Shinji Kagawa (Borussia Dortmund, Germany), Hiroshi Kiyotake (Hannover 96, Germany), Gaku Shibasaki (Kashima Antlers) Forwards - Yohei Toyoda (Sagan Tosu), Shinji Okazaki (FSV Mainz, Germany), Keisuke Honda (AC Milan, Italy), Yu Kobayashi (Kawasaki Frontale), Takashi Inui (Eintracht Frankfurt, Germany), Yoshinori Muto (FC Tokyo)

Originally published as Asian Cup: Japan plays experience card as Honda, Okazaki, Kagawa named in 23-man squad