Japan U-23 national soccer team goalkeeper Reo Kokubo Brian: “Next, I aim to be a guardian god of the A national team!

I want to be the goalkeeper who makes the team win.

Reo Kokubo Bryan, 23, the goalkeeper for Japan’s U-23 national soccer team, led by Tsuyoshi Oiwa, has been saying these words since before the games.

After the 0-3 loss to eventual tournament finalist Spain in the quarterfinals, Kokubo sobbed on the pitch in public.

However, there is no doubt that Kokubo’s cheerful and amiable personality and his role as an indispensable mood-maker were behind the team’s breakthrough, even before the final Asian qualifying round in April and May of this year, when many thought it would be difficult for the team to qualify. What attracted fans and surprised the world more than anything else was the string of “divine saves” he made in the group league.

He shut out all three matches. The highlight was a penalty kick taken by Japan in the closing minutes of their second group game against Mali. Japan had a one-goal lead. It was a tense moment in which a goal would not only cost Japan the victory, but also the fate of the group league.

But despite the tension, Kokubo had a smile on his face. The next moment, his opponent’s shot went wide as if escaping from Kokubo’s hands as he jumped sideways.

Why was he smiling?　I wasn’t trying to provoke the opponent or put pressure on him. I could read the course of the shot, and I felt I could stop it even if it came inside the box, so I was happy (before I stopped it). I think I could have stopped it even if it came inside the box.”

Kokubo, who inspired the defenders and made good saves to keep the Nippon goal alive, has come to be called by fans with awe. I saw it on the Internet (laughs).

I saw it on the Internet (laughs). I’m glad to hear that.

Born and raised in Japan to a Nigerian father and Japanese mother, Kokubo’s 193 cm height and athleticism, combined with his supple movement and amazing reflexes, brought him into the limelight at the Paris Olympics as a defender for the Oiwa Japan team, but his path to this point has not been smooth.

A native of Chiba Prefecture, Kokubo began playing soccer at his hometown club, Kashiwa Effort FC, and officially joined the Kashiwa Reysol organization in his first year of junior high school. He took an entrance test as a forward, but was asked to play goalkeeper.

I was lonely,” he said. But when Reysol offered me a position, I couldn’t refuse.

His high potential was recognized, and he moved to the prestigious Portuguese club Benfica at the age of 18, without ever playing in the J.League.

He was treated as the third or fourth best player in the team. I was in a position to help the regular goalkeepers warm up for the games. …… In that situation, the goal of the Paris Olympics was a saving grace. In early July, he was transferred to Sint-Troiden, Belgium, because of his performance in the U-23 Asian Cup, which was also a qualifier for the Olympics. It was great for me to be able to go to the Olympics with a refreshed mind.

The Olympics, in which he had made his name known around the world, were over.

My goal is to make the A team and play in the World Cup at the very least. To achieve this goal, I hope to make a strong showing at my club.

In recent years, Japan’s national team has lacked an absolute guardian deity. Depending on his future performance, it would be no surprise if Kokubo is selected for the A team and becomes the last piece of the World Cup top eight.

From the August 23/30, 2024 issue of FRIDAY