Nadeshiko Japan (Japan Women’s National Team) faced India, ranked 67th in the FIFA rankings, in their second match of the AFC Women's Asian Cup™ Australia 2026 on Saturday 7 March. The match kicked off at 7:00pm at Perth Rectangular Stadium.

Japan made nine changes to the starting line-up from the opening match. While retaining their 4-3-3 formation, HIRAO Chika (Granada CF) started in goal, with a back four of YAMAMOTO Yuzuki (Nippon TV Tokyo Verdy Beleza), KOGA Toko (Tottenham Hotspur), KUMAGAI Saki (London City Lionesses) and MORIYA Miyabi (Utah Royals) from right to left. In midfield, HAYASHI Honoka (Everton) played as the holding midfielder, with HASEGAWA Yui (Manchester City) and MIYAZAWA Hinata (Manchester United) ahead of her. The front line consisted of CHIBA Remina (Eintracht Frankfurt) on the left, SEIKE Kiko (Brighton & Hove Albion) on the right, and TANAKA Mina (Utah Royals) through the middle.

Japan seized the initiative from the outset and opened the scoring in the fourth minute. After receiving a pass from Miyazawa high up the pitch, Yamamoto cut inside, evaded two defenders and unleashed a left-footed strike. The curling shot flew into the left side netting, giving Yamamoto her first international goal.

Japan doubled their lead in the 13th minute when Hasegawa converted Yamamoto’s cross. In the 20th minute, Miyazawa struck with her right foot after a lay-off from Hasegawa to make it 3-0. The fourth goal came in the 35th minute, when Tanaka cleverly let Hayashi’s forward pass run through, allowing Miyazawa to break free and calmly beat the goalkeeper in a one-on-one situation. Deep into first-half stoppage time, Japan were awarded a penalty following a VAR review from a right-side corner-kick sequence, and Seike converted to make it 5-0 at the interval.

Japan showed no signs of slowing down after the break. Introducing three substitutes — HIJIKATA Maya (Aston Villa), UEKI Riko (West Ham United) and NARUMIYA Yui (INAC Kobe Leonessa) — Japan struck again in the 47th minute as Ueki met Hijikata’s cross at the near post to score the sixth. Ueki added another in the 50th minute by finishing a loose ball. In the 55th minute Seike converted Miyazawa’s cross, and in the 62nd minute Hijikata scored her first international goal from Yamamoto’s cross to make it 9-0.

Further substitutions followed in the 63rd minute, with MINAMI Moeka (Brighton & Hove Albion) and HAMANO Maika (Tottenham Hotspur) entering the match. Two minutes later, Ueki completed her hat-trick with a diving header from Hayashi’s cross. In the 81st minute, Hamano slipped a through ball to Ueki, whose cross was finished by Miyazawa for her third goal of the day.

Japan’s commanding 11-goal victory secured their progression to the knockout stage with two wins from two in the group stage. They will face Vietnam in their final group-stage match on Tuesday 10 March, with top spot in the group at stake.

Coach and Players' Comments

Nils NIELSEN, Head Coach of Nadeshiko Japan
I think it was a match in which we managed to play efficiently. We did not drastically change our intentions from the first match, but scoring earlier in this game allowed us to play with greater composure. We asked the players to be proactive when shooting opportunities arose, to increase the tempo of our attacks, and to avoid conceding, and I believe they executed those instructions very well. Our positioning was good and we were able to stay connected as a team. By adjusting some small details between the first and second matches, we were able to show how much the outcome can change. I am pleased with the number of goals we scored, but we do not want to be content with that. We want to approach the next matches in the same way.

DF #16 YAMAMOTO Yuzuki (Nippon TV Tokyo Verdy Beleza)
It was my first start for the national team (excluding last year’s EAFF E-1 Football Championship, which mainly featured domestic-based players), so I was nervous. However, I’m really glad that I was able to strike the ball with confidence and it resulted in a goal. At the moment I scored, I felt more relief that we had taken an early lead rather than the realisation that it was my first international goal. I had some concerns about my match sharpness after being away from the game for a while, but being able to show what I’ve been working on in a match gives me confidence. I’m still not fully accustomed to playing at full-back, but I felt I could show my strengths in matches like this where we kept possession for much of the game. Fortunately, I have a great role model in SHIMIZU Risa, so as the level of our opponents increases and my defensive responsibilities grow, I want to keep learning from her in training and continue to improve.

MF #7 MIYAZAWA Hinata (Manchester United/England)
At an individual level, I’m honestly very happy to have achieved my first hat-trick for the national team. As a team, it was positive that we scored in a variety of ways, including runs from midfield. In the first match, we struggled to open the scoring against opponents who defended deep, so we all entered this match with the intention of scoring goals as early as possible. In that sense, the early goal really helped us settle down and play with greater composure. In the second half I played on the left side for the first time in a while, and I tried to make the most of my strengths while deciding whether to cross or use the players around me. Being able to break down the opposition in different ways and turn those into goals was a valuable outcome for the team.

FW #9 UEKI Riko (West Ham United/England)
I’m happy to have scored again for the national team after a while, and even more so to achieve my first hat-trick. As a forward, I’m relieved to have produced results. My first goal came from making a run to the near post, which is one of my strengths, and I’ve played with Hijikata for so long that I knew exactly when to time my run. The third goal also came from a play where Hayashi fully understood my strengths. In Asia, where many players have similar physical builds, I feel it’s easier to make use of my strength in the air. I have been spending a lot of time working on my weaknesses at my club, but with the national team I am able to showcase my strengths as a finisher, which I’m very grateful for. I want to continue delivering results even in the tougher matches ahead.

FW #26 HIJIKATA Maya (Aston Villa/England)
My strengths lie in my ability to initiate attacks by receiving the ball higher up the pitch, making repeated runs, and arriving in the final third, so I came on wanting to make a difference in those areas. Even while watching the first half from the bench, I felt there were moments where I could change the tempo of our attack, so I was eager to make a difference once I entered the pitch. I was able to play a longer spell of 45 minutes compared with the first match, and contributing not only with a goal but also with transitions between defence and attack gives me confidence. My teammates gave me the freedom to play as I wanted, which really helped me express myself. It was also good that we were able to show our depth as a team and prove that we can play the same way regardless of who is on the pitch.

AFC Women's Asian Cup™ Australia 2026

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