Tottenham's Iwabuchi Left Out Of Japan's World Cup Squad

Umer Jamshaid Published June 13, 2023 | 10:10 AM

Chiba, Japan, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 13th Jun, 2023 ) :Tottenham forward Mana Iwabuchi was a surprise omission from Japan's Women's World Cup squad when coach Futoshi Ikeda named his 23 players on Tuesday.

Iwabuchi was part of the squad that won the World Cup in 2011 but did not make the cut as Ikeda's side prepare to face Spain, Costa Rica and Zambia in Group C in Australia and New Zealand.

Captain Saki Kumagai, who scored the winning penalty in the shoot-out as Japan beat the United States in the final 12 years ago, is the only survivor from the 2011 squad.

Ikeda selected Manchester City midfielder Yui Hasegawa, Liverpool's Fuka Nagano and West Ham pair Risa Shimizu and Honoka Hayashi.

Angel City forward Jun Endo, who suffered a knee injury last month, was also included.

Japan squad: Goalkeepers: Ayaka Yamashita (INAC Kobe Leonessa), Momoko Tanaka (Tokyo Verdy Beleza), Chika Hirao (Albirex Niigata) Defenders: Risa Shimizu (West Ham United/ENG), Moeka Minami (Roma/ITA), Saki Kumagai (Roma/ITA), Shiori Miyake (INAC Kobe Leonessa), Kiko Seike (Urawa Reds), Miyabi Moriya (INAC Kobe Leonessa), Rion Ishikawa (Urawa Reds)Midfielders: Fuka Nagano (Liverpool/ENG), Hinata Miyazawa (MyNavi Sendai), Hikaru Naomoto (Urawa Reds), Jun Endo (Angel City/USA), Yui Hasegawa (Manchester City/ENG), Hina Sugita (Portland Thorns/USA), Honoka Hayashi (West Ham United/ENG), Aoba Fujino (Tokyo Verdy Beleza), Hana Takahashi (Urawa Reds)Forwards: Riko Ueki (Tokyo Verdy Beleza), Mina Tanaka (INAC Kobe Leonessa), Maika Hamano (Hammarby/SWE), Remina Chiba (JEF United)