Japan head coach Futoshi Ikeda has unveiled his squad for the international friendly against the Super Falcons of Nigeria.
Ikeda named 25 players for the game billed for Noevir Stadium, Kobe on Thursday, October 6.
A number of foreign-based players were included in the squad including West Ham United duo, Risa Shimizu and Honoka Hayashi.
Roma of Italy defensive stalwart Moeka Minami, North Carolina’s Fuka Nagano and Hana Takahashi, who plays for Urawa Reds Ladies were also included in the squad.
The encounter will be the fourth meeting between both countries.
The Super Falcons defeated Japan 1-0 in the first ever meeting between both teams at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.
Read Also: Int’l Friendly: Canada Coach Rues Missed Chances Against Uruguay
Two back-to-back friendlies in 2013 were won 2-0 each by the Nadeshiko.
The Super Falcons have lost their last four games, while Nadeshiko are unbeaten in their last six international matches in all competitions.
JAPAN FULL SQUAD
Goalkeepers
Ayaka Yamashita (INAC Kobe)
Momoko Tanaka (Tokyo Beleza)
Chika Hirao (Albirex Niigata)
Defenders
Saki Kumagai (Bayern Frauen)
Ruka Norimatsu (Omiya Ardija)
Kiko Seike (Urawa Reds Ladies)
Moeka Minami (AS Roma)
Hana Takahashi (Urawa Reds Ladies)
Shiori Miyake (INAC Kobe)
Risa Shimizu (West Ham United)
Asato Miyagawa (NTV Beleza)
Saori Takarada (Linkopings)
Midfielders
Hikaru Naomoto (Urawa Reds Ladies)
Honoka Hayashi (West Ham United)
Nanami Kitamura (NTV Beleza)
Jun Endo (Angel City)
Shinomi Koyama (Cerezo Osaka)
Hina Sugita (Portland Thorns)
Fuka Nagano (North Carolina
Hinata Miyazawa (Sendai Ladies)
Aoba Fujino (NTV Beleza)
Forwards
Ayaka Inoue (Omiya Ardija)
Riko Ueki (NTV Beleza)
Mina Tanaka (INAC Kobe)
Maika Hamano (INAC Kobe)
9 Comments
These friendly matches are good but it will not benefit us if most of our invited players will not be around
It is high time our various national time coaches should sit up cuz we keep on playing friendly matches yet we don’t utilize those games! friendly matches are met to corrected some weaknesses been observed in teams but i think our various national team coaches are not doing that.
I dont trust the coach amd players and i hope Oshoala plays well
Why do we never invite other teams for friendlies in our own country. We’re always playing away and then hope to win, or disappointed when we lose. Senseless!!
Amadi u are right .
Hmmmm… this is quite deep.
Though I couldnt help but laugh at the “…It seems Nigeria is the only team on the planet that suffers from alleged improper conduct from match officials these days…” part.
Nigerians have cultivated the habit of scapegoating 1 or 2 persons (usually 1 or both of the referee and/or the goalkeeper) to console themselves these days…..LMAOoo.
We put up abject performances against both A and B teams of Algeria but talks of refereeing decisions (rather apt by any neutrals’ perspectives) dominated discussions….LMAOooo.
This is where we have found ourselves now.
Many thanks once again to those who brought us here. They know themselves. I hope that are happy now.
Waldrum and his girls are up next, we patiently await the next episode of “Moan of the Moaners” series coming up.
Suddenly all the players that opted out of the friendly are fit to play games for their clubs this weekend. Na wa ooh
Hopefully the best result is a 0 :
2 loss.
@newfootballformation 1 3 7
That was the formation Uruguay used against Chile in those olden days to win the world cup.