Japan coach Zico on Thursday handed Cerezo Osaka hotshot Yoshito Okubo and two other Japan Under-22 players the chance to make their full international debut when he named a 23-man squad for the upcoming home friendly against 2002 World Cup cohost South Korea.
Striker Okubo, Kyoto Purple Sanga midfielder Daisuke Matsui and FC Tokyo's Naohiro Ishikawa were all given the nod while Junichi Inamoto, Takayuki Suzuki and Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi were the only three European-based players named for the May 31 friendly in Tokyo.