AFC Bournemouth have announced that the Japanese under-20 national side will visit their Performance Centre in November.
The stop in Bournemouth will be part of the Japanese team’s UK training camp before they take on England’s youth side.
Yuzo Funakoshi’s team will also take on Bournemouth’s Development Squad on November 17 in a behind-closed-doors friendly.
Samuel Rocca, coach at Cobham FC, explained how facing international opponents could be useful for academy sides like Bournemouth:
“It is a massively beneficial experience getting to play people from different backgrounds and cultures.
“I think they would approach it the same and there is a lot they can learn, even how they structure sessions, their philosophy, everything.”
AFC Bournemouth’s Development Squad sit third in the U21 Professional Development League, despite a heavy 4-0 defeat away at Bristol City on Monday.
Japan will be the Bournemouth Academy’s first ever friendly against an international side, proving to be an interesting one-off test before they prepare for the Premier League Cup against Birmingham.
Rocca, who has already had three years in academy coaching at 19, has praised the decision to look internationally for experience.
He said: “The more exposure you can get early on [in academy player’s careers], you can then call upon when you do reach that elite level.
“It will definitely expose both teams’ players to experiences that will challenge them.”
AFC Bournemouth’s Development Squad will be hoping to bounce back in the league at home against QPR on Monday.
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