Nakata to captain Japan

National coach Zico made the decision after incumbent skipper Tsuneyasu Miyamoto pulled out of the squad through injury.

He also announced Japan's starting line-up for the match, which will feature a European-based midfield comprising Nakata, Shinji Ono, Junichi Inamoto, and Shunsuke Nakamura.

"He is a very charismatic player," said Zico in reference to Nakata. "He is my first choice candidate for captain."

This will only be the second time Nakata has captained his country. The last time was in the 2001 Confederations Cup when he inspired Japan to a 1-0 win over Australia in the semi-finals.

It was also in the same tournament when he attracted controversy by missing the final to play in Roma's last league game of the season.