Nadeshiko Japan (Japan Women’s National Team) began their AFC Women’s Asian Cup™ Australia 2026 campaign on Wednesday 4 March at Perth Rectangular Stadium, taking on Chinese Taipei, currently ranked 40th in the FIFA rankings. Kick-off came at 1:00 p.m. local time with temperatures reaching 36°C.

Japan lined up in a 4-3-3 formation. YAMASHITA Ayaka (Manchester City) started in goal, with a back four of SHIMIZU Risa (Liverpool FC), TAKAHASHI Hana (Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Urawa Reds Ladies), MINAMI Moeka (Brighton & Hove Albion) and KITAGAWA Hikaru (Everton) from right to left. In midfield, NAGANO Fuka (Liverpool FC) operated as the anchor behind HASEGAWA Yui (Manchester City) and TANIKAWA Momoko (Bayern Munich). The front line featured FUJINO Aoba (Manchester City) on the left, HAMANO Maika (Tottenham Hotspur) on the right, and TANAKA Mina (Utah Royals) through the middle, with Hasegawa wearing the captain’s armband.

From the outset, Chinese Taipei defended deep with a compact block in front of their goal, but Japan asserted control with a high press and quick one-touch passing to probe the defence. On the right flank, Hamano, Shimizu and Hasegawa combined fluidly. In the third minute, Hamano’s cross was met first-time by Tanikawa, and when the ball broke loose, Kitagawa fired a mid-range effort. Further chances followed, as Fujino cut inside and took a shot in the ninth minute, while Tanikawa struck the post after running onto a through ball from Shimizu. Japan also threatened from set pieces but were repeatedly denied by Chinese Taipei goalkeeper WANG Yu-Ting, and the sides went into the break level at 0–0.

Japan increased their use of wide attacks after the restart and quickly created further opportunities from Kitagawa’s crosses. In the 52nd minute, Fujino and Tanikawa worked the ball deep into the attacking third, but Tanaka’s shot was well saved by the goalkeeper.

The deadlock was finally broken in the 61st minute. Tanikawa timed her run behind the defence to receive a pass from Takahashi and calmly controlled the ball with her chest before finishing with her right foot to put Japan ahead. Japan continued to press against an opponent determined to defend deep. In the 64th minute, MORIYA Miyabi (Utah Royals) and SEIKE Kiko (Brighton & Hove Albion) were introduced, followed in the 75th minute by MIYAZAWA Hinata (Manchester United) and CHIBA Remina (Eintracht Frankfurt) as Japan stepped up the pressure.

In the 85th minute, HIJIKATA Maya (Aston Villa) made her senior international debut. As the match entered its closing stages, Chiba became a key outlet on the left, and in the second minute of additional time she delivered a cross that Seike headed home to seal the victory. Japan finished with 30 shots while limiting their opponents to none, securing a 2–0 win.

Nadeshiko Japan will face India in their second Group Stage match on Saturday 7 March.

Coach and Players' Comments

Nils NIELSEN, Head Coach of Nadeshiko Japan
It was a one-sided match and, as expected, our opponents were a tough team. Even without much space, the players remained focused until the end and kept creating chances. Taking three points in the opening match is crucial, so I’m satisfied with the result. That said, I felt we needed to be a bit more direct and quicker in our approach to goal, especially when making runs into deeper areas and attacking crosses. At half-time I told the players that we had plenty of time, so we should first concentrate on getting one goal. We also discussed adding different movements to break down the opposition. In the second half we saw more runs into the penalty area and better support play, while the substitutes brought fresh energy and creativity.

MF #14 HASEGAWA Yui (Manchester City/England)
We struggled with the way the opposition played, especially in the first half, but I’m pleased with how we stuck to our plan and finished the match with a solid win. They defended deeper than we had expected, and although we felt the goal would eventually come, there were moments when frustration affected our decision-making. By continuing to play patiently we eventually created spaces in their block, which led to more chances in the second half. In matches like this, if the same players stay on the pitch for too long, the play can lose its dynamism, but the substitutes brought great energy. We know the matches ahead will also be tough, so we want to keep refining our approach against low blocks and aim to win the tournament.

MF #19 TANIKAWA Momoko (Bayern Munich/Germany)
For the goal, Hana Takahashi had the ball in a good position and was facing forward, so it was easy for me to make the run. I focused on staying onside and was glad I could finish it well. Since the opposition defended with a deeper line than expected, I tried to keep making runs to create space and push their line back. I think our persistence in trying to break through their determined defence was key to this win. Against teams that sit deep, we need to take more long-range shots while also improving the quality of our combinations in the final third. We will continue to prepare well in order to win the title.

FW #11 TANAKA Mina (Utah Royals/USA)
We expected them to defend deep, but it was still a little surprising that they didn’t press at all and were completely committed to sitting back. However, that didn’t affect us too much, as we spent the first half trying different things in order to figure out how to break them down. When crosses came in, we wanted to have more players in the box, but as we circulated the ball the distances between players became too large, which made it harder to commit numbers in front of goal. Personally, I tried to adjust my positioning so that there would always be a target in the middle and to stay alert to any chances that might arise. The next match could unfold in a similar way, so we want to increase the number of movements that lead directly to goals from the start and make sure we take advantage of runs in behind immediately after winning the ball.

AFC Women's Asian Cup™ Australia 2026

Tournament Date: Sun. 1 March - Sat. 21 March 2026
Tournament information