Junya Ito was a complete no-show and declined a Mixzone interview.

Japan defeated Bahrain 3-1 in the round of 16 of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) 2023 Qatar Asian Cup at Al Thumama Stadium in Doha, Qatar, on July 31 at 2:30 p.m. local time. Japan, who reached the quarterfinals, will play the winner of the Iran-Syria clash for a ticket to the last four. The crowd was 31,822.

Japan lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation. Suzuki, Yuma Nakayama, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Ko Itakura, Seiya Maikuma, Wataru Endo, Leo Hatate, Takefusa Kubo, Ritsu Doan, and Ayase Ueda started. Ito started on the bench.

Ito developed his skills while playing for Banfore Kofu, Kashiwa Reysol, and others. He impressed with his quick feet and tremendous work rate. He made his way to Europe by joining Henk, and his performances at the Stade de Reims made him one of the top wingers in the French Ligue 1. Ito's dominance in the Ligue 1 made him a favorite of head coach Hajime Moriyasu. In Japan, where there are many good wingers like Ritsu Doan and Takefusa Kubo, Ito held his own.

He was also a starter at the Asian Cup. He played throughout the group stage. After starting against Vietnam and Iraq, Ito came off the bench against Indonesia. Just before the match against Bahrain, Japanese media outlets reported that Ito was involved in a sexual assault allegation.

Coach Moriyasu left Ito out of the starting lineup. In his 토토 place, Doan scored a goal and Kubo added another. Ito warmed up but remained on the bench. The game ended in a 3-1 victory for Japan.

In the mix zone, Ito was joined by his teammates. While his teammates responded to interview requests, he declined. Two Japanese reporters tried, but he waved them away. Ito's sexual assault allegations are understandably of great interest in Japan, and it will be interesting to see how Moriyasu manages the situation going forward.