The AFC Women’s Asian Cup™, staged across three Australian cities from 1 to 21 March, provided the latest showcase for the strength of Nadeshiko Japan (Japan Women’s National Team). They played as expected and won their third title with six straight wins.

In the final against hosts Australia, HAMANO Maika opened the scoring with a superb goal in the first half. After the break, however, Australia threw everything forward, piling on pressure with a direct, physical approach, and Japan spent much of the closing stages pinned back in defence. Yet through disciplined, collective defending, they held firm to secure a 1–0 victory. Across six matches, they scored 29 goals and conceded just once — a performance worthy of true queens of Asia.

UEKI Riko finished as the tournament’s top scorer with six goals, while YAMASHITA Ayaka was named Best Goalkeeper. The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) selected Australia’s Alanna KENNEDY as the tournament MVP, but for me, the standout performer was NAGANO Fuka, whose commanding displays in midfield epitomised the quality of Nadeshiko Japan throughout the competition. The tournament once again underlined just how strong this team has become.

But beyond all that, there was something even more admirable:Japan also won the Fair Play Award.

Some may regard it as nothing out of the ordinary for Nadeshiko Japan. But their record in this tournament was exceptional even by their own standards. Across all six matches, they did not receive a single yellow card — the only team among the 12 participants to achieve that feat.

There were some one-sided games, like Japan’s 11–0 victory over India, who, rather than sitting deep defensively, took Nadeshiko on head-on, allowing them to attack at full throttle. But the overall standard of women’s football across Asia has risen considerably, and many matches turned into unexpectedly tight contests. The tournament attracted a total attendance of 358,414 spectators across 27 matches — an average of 13,275 per game — while 74,397 fans packed the stadium in Sydney for the final, creating an intense atmosphere throughout the competition.

Encouragingly, not a single red card was shown during the tournament, while the total number of yellow cards stood at just 62 — an average of 2.30 per match. By the standards of recent international tournaments, it was a remarkably low figure, making it a fiercely competitive yet notably clean tournament (although there were a few heated moments surrounding Video Assistant Referee decisions).

Nadeshiko Japan play with tremendous intensity. Their style is built on pressing aggressively high up the pitch, winning possession in advanced areas and turning it directly into chances on goal. Naturally, such an approach inevitably leads to plenty of physical duels. Yet despite playing in this manner, they finished the tournament without a single yellow card. More impressively still, they committed remarkably few fouls.

Japan were penalised for just 22 fouls across six matches — an average of only 3.67 per game. Vietnam recorded 12 fouls in three matches, averaging four per game, but across the tournament as a whole, the average number of fouls committed per team per match was 6.39. Japan’s figure of 3.67 demonstrates that, even while defending aggressively, they did it without becoming overly physical; it was evidence of the exceptionally high level of their defensive technique and decision-making.

Perhaps the most striking statistic came in the final against Australia. Despite enduring relentless pressure in the closing stages, with the ball constantly flying across Japan’s goalmouth, Nadeshiko committed only a single foul over the entire 90 minutes (Australia committed six). That lone foul came in the 62nd minute, when TAKAHASHI Hana halted an Australian counterattack in the middle of the opposing half after Japan had lost possession in attack.

Although the squad now includes more physically imposing players than in previous generations, Nadeshiko Japan still tend to be smaller in stature than Australia and many teams from Europe and North America. Conceding unnecessary fouls in their own half would therefore give opponents dangerous set-piece opportunities close to goal. Seen from that perspective as well, the tournament provided clear proof that Japan can defend resolutely and effectively without relying on fouls — surely one of the team’s greatest gains from this campaign.

Perhaps it was “the usual Fair Play Award.” But the substance behind it was different this time: these were the most controlled and disciplined performances they have ever produced. It was, in every sense, a magnificent triumph.

Written by OSUMI Yoshiyuki (Football Journalist)

*This article was originally posted on the Japan Football Association Newsletter, “JFAnews,” April 2026 edition.

Japan Football Association Newsletter “JFAnews”

The Japan Football Association Newsletter “JFAnews” contains all the information on the Japan National Team, events hosted by JFA, tournament results, and team information throughout the nation. The official monthly magazine is a must read for coaches, referees, and all members of the football family.

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