Panama's national football team landed in Tokyo on Monday ahead of their participation in the International Tournament. The side, managed by Thomas Christiansen, checked into a hotel in Tokyo's Shinjuku financial district after an eight-hour direct flight from Bangalore, India.

The arrival at Narita International Airport occurred around 2:30 p.m. Local time. A group of Japanese fans greeted the delegation and took photos with the players. The squad will be based in the Japanese capital for nine days, with their focus on Thursday's semifinal.

Panama will face New Zealand in the tournament's first semifinal on October 1. The match is scheduled for 1:00 a.m. Panama time at Yokohama International Stadium. The second semifinal will see Japan take on Ecuador at the same venue. The third-place match and final will be played on October 5 at Tokyo National Stadium.

Official schedule

On Tuesday, head coach Thomas Christiansen will hold a press conference at 2:00 p.m. Local time. The team's official training session is set for 3:00 p.m. At Yokohama International Stadium. New Zealand will train from 11:30 a.m. To 12:30 p.m., followed by their own press conference at 12:45 p.m.

Panama will train again on Wednesday at Ajinomoto Field Nishigaoka at 10:00 a.m. The Asian tour began in India, where Panama drew 1-1 with the local side on September 25. Omar Valencia scored Panama's goal in the 68th minute, assisted by Eduardo Anderson.

The players are taking the tournament seriously. "The coach (Thomas Christiansen) always instills in each of us that there are no friendly matches or tournaments," said Tomás Rodríguez. Eduardo Anderson added, "We know it's a complicated match; New Zealand is a good national team and we believe that will help us compete and show what we're made of for what comes next."

This tournament serves as key preparation for the upcoming Concacaf Nations League. Panama arrives for this fixture in a difficult run of form, with a streak of five matches without a win that includes two draws and three defeats.

The national team's next official fixture, according to our upcoming matches schedule, is this clash against New Zealand. The squad remains based in Shinjuku until October 5, aiming for a solid performance to build momentum for the difficult challenges awaiting in November.

More detail at El Siglo Panamá