Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Zurich: Believe it or not, despite being just 25 years old, Mana Iwabuchi will head to France next year for her third FIFA Women's World Cup with Japan.
As a teenager, the diminutive striker played a substitute role at Germany 2011, when Japan defied all the odds to lift the trophy in surprise fashion. She would continue the internship when her side again stormed to the final at Canada 2015, only to lose out to USA.
Having garnered the necessary international experience and exposure down the years, during which Iwabuchi has gone from a burgeoning starlet to a seasoned veteran, it is fair to say the talented attacker is primed to lead the Nadeshiko to their second world title.
"I was lucky to have been a part of our team for the past two Women's World Cups," the INAC Kobe Leonessa goal-getter said in a recent exclusive interview. "However, I was not in the starting line-up and I didn't play all the matches. In a sense, I was an apprentice to those experienced players. So the 2019 Women's World Cup provides me with an opportunity to lead the team to another success if I am in the squad."
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Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
London: Japan's Asako Takakura remains in the running to add The Best FIFA Women's Coach Award to her five AFC Female Coach of the Year honours, after being named as one of three finalists on Monday.
Takakura was named alongside Olympique Lyon's UEFA Women's Champion League-winning head coach Reynald Pedros and Sarina Wiegman, who led her native Netherlands to the UEFA Women's Euro 2017 title.
Australia's Alen Stajcic was one of seven previously shortlisted candidates to miss out on a nomination for the final three.
It has been a memorable 2018 for Takakura, who guided the Nadeshiko to April's AFC Women's Asian Cup with a 1-0 over Australia in Jordan, before claiming gold at the 2018 Asian Games with a win by the same margin against China PR just last Friday.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Palembang: Substitute Yuika Sugasawa’s 90th minute goal secured Japan the 2018 Asian Games Indonesia women’s football tournament gold medal, beating China PR 1-0 in the final on Friday.
Korea Republic clinched the bronze medal after cruising to a 4-0 win over Chinese Taipei in the play-off at the Gelora Sriwijaya Stadium.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: After a busy month of international action, the-AFC.com assesses the trajectory of Asia's successful 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup France qualifiers, and looks at what lies ahead before next year's Finals.
Japan
Three months after retaining their status as Asian Champions, Japan showed they have a long way to go before they again reach the top of the world, and Asako Takakura was frustrated to lose all three matches in a Tournament of Nations campaign the coach described as 'miserable'.
The Nadeshiko struggled defensively without regular captain and Best FIFA Women's Player Nominee Saki Kumagai, but the tournament did allow Takakura to introduce a number of new faces as she continues to search for the perfect combination.