Daizen Maeda has admitted he was unsure about the basics of a pre-match coin toss when he captained Japan national football team in their victory over Scotland national football team.
The Celtic FC forward led his country for the first time as the Samurai Blue secured a 1-0 win at Hampden Park. With key figures like Wataru Endo, Takumi Minamino and Yuto Nagatomo unavailable, manager Hajime Moriyasu handed Maeda the captain’s armband.
Speaking after the match, Maeda revealed he had little time to prepare and even sought advice from Endo after learning he would captain the side shortly before kick-off.
He admitted he was “concerned” about the responsibility, saying he had never experienced being captain before and was unsure how the coin toss procedure worked. Maeda explained that he asked Endo whether to choose kick-off or sides, with teammates hoping to switch ends due to the sun.
However, after losing the coin toss, Japan were forced to settle for kick-off while Scotland chose their preferred side.
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