Japan look to avenge their semifinal loss in the previous under-23 Asian Cup men's football tournament to Uzbekistan when the two teams meet in Friday's final in Doha.
"I clearly remember that," Japan head coach Go Oiwa told a press conference Thursday at the final's venue, referring to the 2-0 June 2022 loss in Tashkent, when he was also at the helm.
"This year's final will be completely different. We've analyzed Uzbekistan carefully and want to prepare well," he said.
The match will gauge how much the Japanese team has grown since 2022.
"I didn't play well two years ago, so I want to win the trophy this time," Japan captain Joel Chima Fujita said.
Japan and Uzbekistan have already secured two of Asia's three guaranteed berths at this summer's Paris Olympics by reaching the final.
Friday's winners will join Paraguay, Mali and Israel in Group D at the Olympics, while the losers will join Spain, Egypt and the Dominican Republic in Group C.
In the semifinals, Japan defeated Iraq 2-0 and Uzbekistan beat surprise package Indonesia by the same score.
Uzbekistan, the 2022 runners-up to Saudi Arabia, have scored 14 times without conceding a single goal in their five matches so far in Qatar.
