VfL Bochum still has to do without Takuma Asano. The Japanese national team has overcome the next hurdle at the Asian Cup.

Good for Takuma Asano and the Japanese national team, bad for VfL Bochum: Japan beat Bahrain in the last sixteen of the Asian Cup in Qatar on Wednesday afternoon and are now through to the last eight. This means that VfL Bochum will have to do without its Japanese offensive star for a few more days. The quarter-final will not be played until Saturday (12:30 p.m.).

On Wednesday, after the public training session, at which new signing Agon Elezi was also on the pitch for the first time, Bochum coach Letsch had still had the faint hope that he could plan with Asano in the home game against FC Augsburg this Saturday (3:30 p.m., Sky).

But now that’s not going to happen, he’ll have to look for a replacement again.

VfL Bochum’s Asano plays in the round of 16 from the 80th minute

Japan beat Bahrain 3-1 on Wednesday afternoon, with Freiburg’s Ritsu Doan putting Japan in front just after half an hour. Takefusa Kubo and Ayase Ueda scored the other goals for Japan. Asano did not come on until the 80th minute, when he replaced the scorer for the 3-1 from Japan’s perspective – but he was still on the pitch for over twenty minutes. There was eleven minutes of injury time.

In the group stage, Asano only played in one game – in the 2-1 defeat to Iraq. He also played from the start then. He did not collect any minutes of play in the two victories against Vietnam and Indonesia. Now in the round of 16, he was only good for a short appearance again.

VfL Bochums Asano: Asian Cup final would be on February 10

In the quarterfinals, Japan will now face either Syria or Iran on Saturday. The two will play their round of 16 on Wednesday evening German time. Should Japan then also prevail there, the semi-final would be held in the middle of next week.

In the worst case for VfL Bochum, Asano would then also be absent the following weekend in the away game at Eintracht Frankfurt on February 10. The final of the Asian Cup will also be held on that day.