Ake is part of the City squad in Japan ahead of Sunday’s pre-season meeting with CFG sister club Yokohama F. Marinos.
The 11:00 (UK) kick-off, live in the UK on CITY+ and Recast, will be our first assignment since beating Inter to lift the Champions League in Istanbul last month.
HOW TO FOLLOW CITY’S 2023 ASIA TOUR
With the Community Shield - the first of seven trophies City will compete for in 2023/24 - just two weeks away, Ake is adamant that the players are ready to fight for more silverware.
“Last season was a great season for every one of us,” he said.
“But football keeps going forward. Last season is last season. We have the mentality to go again. Our first objective is the Community Shield and then the Super Cup and Club World Cup.
“There’s plenty to go and win. The manager demands of everyone that we go again. This club has been doing that for many years now. Everyone has the mentality to keep pushing each other to reach the next level.”
After facing the Japanese champions on Sunday, we will play Bayern Munich in Tokyo on Wednesday before moving on to Seoul for a clash with Atletico Madrid.
With just the three matches before the return of competitive football, Ake is clear about what City are hoping to get out of these friendlies.
He said: “The most important thing is to get rhythm back, get fit and play with the team. You also want to do tactical stuff to get ready for the season.
“The season starts soon and we have to be ready for that. We have trained hard but the next few games will be vital to be ready for the new season.”
Large crowds are expected at the Japan National Stadium, with local fans keen to see the European champions in action.
After attracting more than 100,000 spectators across two matches on last summer’s US tour, Ake believes City are becoming ever more popular around the globe.
“Last year the games we played over in the US were all sold out,” he stated.
“There were good atmospheres and I think tomorrow is the same and the next few games.
“It shows the Club is growing in these countries. It’s great to see fans outside the hotels. I think we are growing.”
WATCH OUR ASIA TOUR MATCHES ON CITY+ OR RECAST
CITY+ and Recast will exclusively show all pre-season tour games live in the UK.
The meeting with Yokohama F. Marinos on 23 July is available only for viewers in the UK, while fans in the UK and Germany can watch our Bayern Munich clash on 26 July.
We face Atletico Madrid on 30 July, with fans all over the world (except South Korea) able to watch the action.
CITY+ is also where you will find the entire catalogue of City Studios documentaries and vodcasts.
Watchable through our official website or app*, CITY+ is available via an annual subscription of £34.99 a year, saving you £24 on our monthly offering.
Choose monthly and pay £4.99 a month with the option to cancel anytime.
Official Cityzens and Season Ticket Members can subscribe annually for £30 a year, a saving of £29.
Alternatively, you can join us on Recast for a flexible, pay-per-view option on all the same exciting content found on CITY+.
Simply follow our official channel and pay for the matches, documentaries, full-match replays and vodcasts you want to see.
*Tour matches will not be available to watch on our TV app due to regional restrictions
