DAIZEN MAEDA could come face to face with Celtic team-mate Kieran Tierney at Hampden in March.
Scotland will play Japan in one of two friendlies as they prepare for the World Cup Finals in the summer.
The Scots take on Maeda and Co, who have also qualified for the soccer extravaganza in the USA, Canada and Mexico which commences in June, at the national stadium on Saturday March 28 with a 5pm kick-off.
And they will play Curacao at Hampden on Saturday at 1pm on May 30 before saying farewell and heading for training in North America ahead of their opener in Boston where Steve Clarke’s men will face Haiti on Sunday June 14.
Former Rangers boss Dick Advocaat is head coach of the nation rated No.82 in the current FIFA rankings.
Maeda is hoping to get the nod for a place in the Japanese squad for the Finals while Reo Hatate, too, hasn’t given up hope of being involved.
BIG SHOT…Kieran Tierney is congratulated by John McGinn after scoring a spectacular third goal in Scotland’s dramatic 4-2 World Cup-qualifying win over Denmark in November. Steve Clarke is about to join in.
Former Hoops team-mate Kyogo Furuhashi, who celebrates his 31st birthday tomorrow, is an outside bet as he struggles for goals at Championship outfit Birmingham City.
Tierney and Anthony Ralston played their part in the Scots reaching the global tournament with the former scoring a crucial goal against colleague Kasper Schmeichel in the nation’s 4-2 victory over Denmark in Glasgow in November that clinched a place in the Finals.
International boss Steve Clarke, speaking to The Scotsman, said: “Following our normal approach of arranging tough friendly fixtures, we were pleased to secure the visit of Japan – who are in the top 20 of FIFA’s World Rankings,.
“We’re also looking forward to welcoming Curacao to Glasgow, which should give us a feel for the CONCACAF federation before our game against Haiti.
“It will be great to meet up with the squad for the first time since that crazy, momentous night, when they took us back to the World Cup after such a long time.”
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