Japan might have lost the final, but they win the cleanliness cup
Qatar won their first ever Asian Cup on Friday, beating Japan in the final by thee goals to one. The first was the standout goal of the game, as Almoez Ali pulled off a stunning overhead kick to put Qatar in front.
Qatar then doubled their lead, before Japan pulled one back in the second half. But that goal would prove to be merely a consolation strike, as Qatar made it 3-1 with little time to spare, confirming their tournament victory, on the turf of their arch rivals, the United Arab Emirates.
Japan were presumably gutted to have come so far only to lose to a nation which has no footballing heritage whatsoever. But that did not stop them from behaving with the utmost integrity, as they cleared the changing room after the game, leaving it absolutely spotless. This mark of respect is custom in Japan, as seen during last summer’s World Cup, when fans cleaned up the stands, picking up every cup and every container.
The Japan squad also left a thank you message in Japanese, Arabic and English on the white board in the changing room.
Japan leave the #AsianCup2019 dressing room spotless with thank you message in English, Arabic and Japanese! 👏 pic.twitter.com/RfiVyoMumd
— #AsianCup2023 (@afcasiancup) February 2, 2019
The world can learn a lot from Japan, especially when it comes to cleanliness, courtesy and politeness.
