Japan have named a 22-player squad — half of whom play for top European clubs — to face the Football Ferns in their two-match series in Spain.
The games are scheduled to be played at Estadio Nueva Condomina in Murcia, Spain, on June 1 and June 4, 2024 (NZT).
Japan’s squad includes players from Italian club AS Roma, Germany’s Eintracht Frankfurt, Netherlands’ Feyenoord and England’s West Ham United, Manchester City, Liverpool, Manchester United and Chelsea.
Main photo: Top goalscorer for Japan is Mina Tanaka (left) who has struck 34 goals in her 78-cap career.
The squad draws heavily on the players who took Japan to the quarter-finals of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
The most experienced player is AS Roma’s Saki Kumagai (33), who has played 150 games for her country.
Other mainstays of the team include Yui Hasegawa (81 appearances), Mina Tanaka (78), Risa Shimizu (76) and Moeka Minami (49).
Leading goalscorers in the squad are Tanaka, who has 34 international goals to her name, and Hasegawa, with 20 goals.
Goalkeeper Shu Ohba (21) is the only newcomer named in the squad.
Meanwhile, Ferns head coach Jitka Klimková will miss the matches as she has opted to take leave of absence while NZ Football investigates an employment issue.
Assistant coach Michael Mayne will take charge of the New Zealand squad for the series.
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Japan squad
Goalkeepers
Ayaka Yamashita (INAC Kobe Leonessa)
Chika Hirao (Albirex Niigata Ladies)
Shu Ohba (University of Mississippi/United States)*
Outfield players
Saki Kumagai (AS Roma/italy)*
Mina Tanaka (INAC Kobe Leonessa)
Risa Shimizu (West Ham United/England)
Kiko Seike (Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Urawa Reds Ladies)
Miyabi Moriya (INAC Kobe Leonessa)
Yui Hasegawa (Manchester City/England)
Hikaru Kitagawa (INAC Kobe Leonessa)
Honoka Hayashi (West Ham United/England)
Moeka Minami (AS Roma/italy)*
Fuka Nagano (Liverpool FC/England)
Remina Chiba (Eintracht Frankfurt/Germany)*
Riko Ueki (West Ham United/England)
Hinata Miyazawa (Manchester United/England)
Hana Takahashi (Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Urawa Reds Ladies)
Rion Ishikawa (Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Urawa Reds Ladies)
Aoba Fujino (Nippon Tv Tokyo Verdy Beleza)
Maika Hamano (Chelsea/England)*
Momoko Tanikawa (FC Rosengard/Sweden)*
Toko Koga (Feyenoord /Netherlands)*
*Will join the squad in Spain
Staff
Head coach: Futoshi Ikeda (JFA National Coaching Staff)
Assistant coach: Tomomi Miyamoto (JFA National Coaching Staff)
Assistant coach: Kensuke Teraguchi (JFA National Coaching Staff)
Goalkeeper coach: Toshiro Nishiiri (JFA National Coaching Staff)
Physical coach: Keisuke Otsuka (JFA National Coaching Staff)
Technical staff: Kei Mihara (JFA Technical House)
Friendly fixtures
Game to be played on Saturday June 1, 2024 (NZT)
New Zealand v Japan
Estadio Nueva Condomina, Murcia, Spain, 2am (NZT)
Game to be played on Tuesday June 4, 2024 (NZT)
New Zealand v Japan
Estadio Nueva Condomina, Murcia, Spain, 2am (NZT)
Olympic fixtures
Games to be played on Friday July 26, 2024 (NZT)
Canada v New Zealand
Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, Saint-Etienne, 3am (NZT)
France v Colombia
Stade de Lyon, Décines-Charpieu, 7am (NZT)
Games to be played on Monday July 29, 2024 (NZT)
New Zealand v Colombia
Stade de Lyon, Décines-Charpieu, 3am (NZT)
France v Canada
Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, Saint-Etienne, 7am (NZT)
Games to be played on Thursday August 1, 2024 (NZT)
New Zealand v France
Stade de Lyon, Décines-Charpieu, 7am (NZT)
Colombia v Canada
Stade de Nice, Nice, 7am (NZT)
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