Japan coach Takeshi Okada has issued a bizarre ban on three of his players from attending their "coming-of-age" ceremony on Monday. Okada refused to release the trio from training for the traditional ceremony for those who have reached 20 - the mark of adulthood in Japan and a day observed with a national holiday.
Cerezo Osaka midfielder Takashi Inui, his club team mate Shinji Kagawa and Oita Trinita midfielder Mu Kanazaki have all been told they cannot leave Japan's training camp in Kyushu. Twenty is also the legal age for drinking in Japan, a fact that will not be lost on Okada after several embarrassing drink-related incidents involving Japanese players in recent years. Japan open their Asian Cup qualifying campaign with a home game against Yemen on January 20 before playing Bahrain away eight days later.