Household names like Manchester City’s Yui Hasegawa, Manchester United’s Hinata Miyazawa and Liverpool’s Fuka Nagano are set to represent Nadeshiko Japan at the Paris Olympics, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of opportunities for newcomers to further their make a mark.
Head coach Futoshi Ikeda also named major tournament debutants Toko Koga and Momoko Tanikawa, aged 18 and 19 respectively, in his squad for the Games, showing that youth is seemingly no barrier to those deemed good enough by Ikeda.
“Both Koga and Tanikawa have grown significantly at their clubs and have impressed during our recent overseas training camps.” Ikeda said this at a press conference in Tokyo on Friday. “They both offer unique qualities and we expect them to contribute greatly to the team.”
