Scotland vs Japan: The Tartan Army eyeing first win over Japan in 17 years
by Thobelani Moyo | by Cydias Aujard
The Tartan Army is enjoying a great run of form
Scotland have three friendly games scheduled for March and April before making their first appearance at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in 28 years. Their first warm-up match is against Japan, a side they've failed to defeat in three meetings, recording two draws and a solitary loss.
They will be eager to break that streak and build momentum ahead of the tournament. Their form has been consistent with just one defeat in their last seven matches. Five of those matches ended in victory. Greece is the only nation that tainted their record with a 3-2 defeat in the FIFA World Cup European qualifiers.
Defence has been a major issue for Scotland, who have conceded a goal in each of their last four matches. That's also one of the reasons they could end up losing this fixture. On the offensive side of things, they've been reliable in front of goal, having scored in five consecutive matches and in seven of their last eight matches. Surely that will be enough to see them get their first goal against Japan, having failed to score in three encounters.
Steve Clark's men return to the international stage after a 4-2 thrashing of Denmark in the FIFA World Cup European qualifiers in November 2025. The triumph was recorded at home, which is where they'll host their opponents in this upcoming encounter. It has been a terrific display in front of their home crowd, with wins in their last three matches against Greece, Belarus, and Denmark.
Can Hajime Moriyasu’s Men Keep Momentum?
The Asian Giants have two friendly games lined up for March before facing Liverpool at Wembley Stadium on the 31st. Japan's last competitive match was against Indonesia in June 2025 in the FIFA World Cup Asian qualifiers. The final result was a decisive 6-0 win, securing their plane ticket to North America for the World Cup finals.
The Samurai Blue will be making their eighth successive appearance in the World Cup since 1998. However, the focus right now is on fine-tuning their preparations ahead of the tournament, and that starts with a match against Steve Clark's men this Saturday. Find out what our experts have to say in our Scotland vs Japan prediction for more insights into the game.
Heading into this encounter, they've won three consecutive matches and conceded just one during that period, flexing their defensive solidity. In fact, Hajime Moriyasu's men have also lost just one of their last ten matches across all competitions. The only setback was a 2-0 defeat against the USA in a friendly clash in September 2025.
On unfamiliar territory, they've failed to win their last two matches. In fact, they've won just one of their last four matches on the road. However, one can not ignore the fact that they were once unstoppable, winning six consecutive matches. Hopefully, they can rediscover that form and carry it into this fixture.
