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Manager Hajime Moriyasu and captain Wataru Endo stated Japan are gearing up nicely ahead of Wednesdays Asian Cup round-of-16 clash with Bahrain in Qatar, where the tournaments most successful nation are seeking their fifth championship. After finishing as runners-up with some nervous moments and a defeat to Iraq in Group D, the Samurai Blue, 17th in the FIFA rankings, have had a six-day interval to ready themselves to face 86th-ranked Group E winners Bahrain in Doha, hoping to improve on their 8-2 head-to-head record. The players are heading into the match in good condition both mentally an