TOKYO: Japan national team captain Maya Yoshida believes his side has a chance of beating Germany in their opening game at the World Cup in Qatar on November 23.

“The chances of victory are never zero,” the defender, who plays for Bundesliga team Schalke, told an interview to the Yomiuri Shimbun daily published on Thursday.

“The first game is difficult for every team,” he added. Yoshida has spent much of his career playing at the top leagues in Europe, such as the Premier League and the Italian Serie A.

He said the goal in Qatar is to be at least among the top eight teams and the game against Germany is a “key” to achieve that.

One of the reasons he moved to Germany was to “know the opponent” and he said he learned a lot in the country. “It’s important to play for as many big clubs in Europe as possible,” he said. — dpa