Japan will open its 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign at home to Singapore on June 16 and not away as originally scheduled, the Japan Football Association announced on Friday.
The change was made because Singapore could not secure a stadium with the mandated capacity of at least 50,000 for that date, when Japan will now host Singapore at Saitama Stadium in its first second-round qualifier for Russia.
Vahid Halilhodzic's men will play in Singapore on Nov. 12 at the new National Stadium. The World Cup qualifiers also double as the qualifying competition for the 2019 Asian Cup in the United Arab Emirates.
The eight group winners along with the top four runners-up book a place at the next continental championship.