East Bengal’s Katsumi Yusa visits Japan FIFA U-17 World Cup team training

East Bengal’s Katsumi Yusa, whose stint with Northeast United FC in the Indian Super League (ISL) got him noticed, said he was Japan FIFA U-17 World Cup football team head coach Yoshiro Moriyama’s trainee at Sanfrecce Hiroshima

Published on: Oct 17, 2017, 09:07:53 IST

Hindustan Times, Kolkata | By Dhiman Sarkar

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The Japan FIFA U-17 World Cup football team training session at the Salt Lake stadium complex had a surprise visitor in Katsumi Yusa, the attacking midfielder who was Mohun Bagan’s captain last term but has joined East Bengal this season.

East Bengal’s Katsumi Yusa, who has made a reputation for himself playing in the I-League and NorthEast United FC in the Indian Super League (ISL), was a ward of Yoshiro Moriyama -- Japan FIFA U-17 World Cup football team -- at Sanfrecce Hiroshima. (Getty Images)

Katsumi, whose stint with Northeast United FC in the Indian Super League (ISL) got him noticed among the Japanese media contingent, came to meet Yoshiro Moriyama, the Japan head coach.

Moriyama, a former Japan defender, spent a decade coaching Sanfrecce Hiroshima’s youth teams and Yusa was one his trainees for three years.

Yusa met the players and said Japan could have a problem dealing with the heat and humidity, something which Moriyama had pointed out as the reason for Saturday’s surprise 1-1 draw against New Caledonia. Japan’s lack of size too could be a problem, he said.

But he is 100% hopeful of Japan staying in the competition after Tuesday night.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dhiman Sarkar
Dhiman Sarkar is based in Kolkata and has been a sport journalist for over three decades. He writes mainly on football.

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