Japan v Canada: the other opening-day game at the Johor Cup

Everyone’s eyes are on the opener today. Fair enough. But the second game at Taman Daya might tell us more about how this tournament actually shapes up.

Japan and Canada get their Sultan of Johor Cup campaigns going at 4:35 pm PKT (7:35 pm local time in Johor Bahru), straight after Pakistan v China finishes on the same pitch. Five teams, everyone plays everyone, top four go through to the medal matches on Saturday. There’s no hiding place in a format like that. Drop points on day one and you’re chasing for the rest of the week.

Canada arrive with something to prove

This Canadian U21 group isn’t some scratch side thrown together for the trip. They took silver at the Junior Pan American Championships in Santiago — six wins, two losses, and both of those defeats came against Argentina, who are nobody’s idea of an easy out. That run booked their place at the 2027 Junior World Cup, so they arrive in Johor with a big tournament already in the bank and another one to build towards.

Fourteen of the eighteen players are back from that Santiago squad. That’s a settled core, and settled cores usually start tournaments better than teams still learning each other’s names. There are fresh faces too — Sam Hoad, Gursehaj Johal and Ryan McKibbin are all in line for their first junior caps — and Josiah Campbell from Calgary is one of the experienced heads they’ll lean on when the tempo goes up.

And the tempo will go up. That’s the thing about playing Japan at this level. You don’t get time on the ball, you don’t get a breather when you lose it, and the first game of a tournament in Malaysian heat is exactly when that press hurts most.

Why this one matters more than it looks

Here’s the bit nobody’s saying out loud: Canada play Pakistan tomorrow. Sunday, 2:05 pm PKT. So whatever happens tonight, they turn around in under 24 hours and face the side most people have circled as one of the tournament favourites. Squad rotation, legs, recovery — tonight’s game isn’t just about tonight.

We ran through Canada’s squad and their road to Johor earlier this week if you want the full picture on them.

For Japan, a win here puts them straight into the medal-match picture and piles the pressure on everyone else. For Canada, even a draw against a quick Asian side in their first outing would be a perfectly fine start — as long as there’s enough left in the tank for tomorrow.

The details

• Match: Japan v Canada, Sultan of Johor Cup 2026, Day 1
• When: Saturday 17 October, 4:35 pm PKT (7:35 pm MYT)
• Where: Taman Daya Hockey Stadium, Johor Bahru
• Earlier today: Pakistan v China opened the tournament at 2:05 pm PKT — follow that one in our live coverage

On watching it: the official broadcast in Malaysia is Sukan RTM with streaming on RTMKlik, but that stream is Malaysia-only and no Pakistan-accessible stream has been confirmed. If a legit link appears, we’ll pin it. Until then, be careful with the unofficial sites asking for logins or payments — they’re not worth it.

Full tournament fixtures and the day-by-day schedule are in our opening day guide.

Full tournament background in the Johor Cup guide, and here’s where to watch the Johor Cup live.