Itakura’s Japan win in World Cup qualifying

Ko Itakura and Japan, as well as Fabio Chiarodia with the Italian U19 squad, tasted success with their national teams.

Japan

The Japanese national team won their third game of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup. Gladbach centre-half Ko Itakura played the full 90 minutes of Japan’s 1-0 win over North Korea (photo: imago images/ANP). The Samurai Blue took the lead through Ao Tanaka in the second minute and defended that lead until the end. The countries will meet again in Pyongyang on Monday (9:00 MEZ).

Italy U19

In their opening game of European Championship qualification, Italy’s U19s, featuring Gladbach defender Fabio Chiarodia, defeated Scotland 3-1, with Chiarodia on the pitch for the whole game.