13 Jan 2005(Thu)

January 11--What a perfect start to 2005!

It's going to be a busy year for Japanese football, and Yoshito Okubo grabbed the headlines with a goal for Real Mallorca against Deportivo La Coruna at the weekend.

Good old Yoshito!

I really hope he keeps it up, and that Mallorca can stay in the top flight to keep their annual matches with the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona.

At the moment I am in Hong Kong-but leave on Wednesday to return to Tokyo--and the South China Morning Post has run a massive picture of Okubo in action against Deportivo.

Despite the treatment of Japan's national team in China at last year's Asian Cup, Japanese players are very popular in this part of the world.

I have seen young Chinese boys wearing Japanese national team shirts of Matsuda and Inamoto, which goes to prove how football can bring together people from different backgrounds.

Maybe soon they will be wearing Okubo shirts.

I am delighted for the player, as he will be desperate to succeed in Europe where others have failed, especially in Spain.

I have spoken to several foreign members of the Japanese football community over the years, and all of them have said Okubo would be successful abroad.

Marcelo Baron, his former teammate at Cerezo Osaka, said he had never seen a Japanese player so single-minded, a player who was not afraid to go it alone when so many others looked for group/team support.

Last season, Albert Pobor, when he was manager of Cerezo, actually said he thought Okubo had more natural talent than Hidetoshi Nakata.

Time will tell whether Okubo is a success, but he has made a great start.

If he plays well and scores more goals but Mallorca are relegated, he could move on to another top-flight team, so there is plenty to keep him motivated in another relegation battle.

I remember Samuel Eto'o playing for modest Mallorca on loan from Real Madrid, and then joining Barcelona.

Eto'o, of course, is one of the most exciting forwards in world football, and gives young Yoshito an example to follow.

ends