Japan women Tokyo 2020 football squad: who's going to the Olympics?

After the Olympics were held back by a year because of coronavirus, Japan are looking forward to finally hosting the event this summer.

With a talented squad and a track record of recent success, their women’s football team are a potential medal prospect.

They are ranked 10th in the world by FIFA and have won the last two Asian Cups, beating Australia in the final both times.

Japan also won the World Cup in 2011 and claimed the silver medal at the London Olympics a year later as they lost 2-1 to the United States in front of an 80,000-strong crowd at Wembley.

Asako Takakura, who has been in charge of Japan since 2016, announced his squad of 22 players for the Olympics last month.

Mana Iwabuchi, who recently moved from Aston Vila to Arsenal, and new Bayern Munich signing Saki Kumagai are the only two left from Japan’s impressive showing nine years ago.

They are two of four European-based players called up by Takakura, with Yui Hasegawa and Honoka Hayashi the others.

There are two players at American clubs, Saori Takarada and Yuka Momiki, while the remaining 16 compete in Japan’s WE League.

Japan, who qualified automatically as hosts, have been drawn alongside Great Britain, Chile and Canada in Group E.

The top two from each group automatically qualify for the quarter-finals, alongside the two best third-placed teams.

Goalkeepers: Sakiko Ikeda (Urawa Reds), Ayaka Yamashita (Nippon TV Beleza), Chika Hirao (Albirex Niigata)

Defenders: Saki Kumagai (Bayern Munich), Risa Shimizu (Nippon TV Beleza), Asato Miyagawa (Nippon TV Beleza), Moeka Minami (Urawa Reds), Nanami Kitamura (Nippon TV Beleza), Saori Takarada (Washington Spirit), Shiori Miyake (INAC Kobe Leonessa)

Midfielders: Emi Nakajima (INAC Kobe Leonessa), Yui Hasegawa (AC Milan), Hina Sugita (INAC Kobe Leonessa), Narumi Miura (Nippon TV Beleza), Yuzuho Shiokoshi (Urawa Reds), Jun Endo (Nippon TV Beleza), Honoka Hayashi (AIK), Momoka Kinoshita (Nippon TV Beleza)

Forwards: Yuika Sugasawa (Urawa Reds), Mana Iwabuchi (Arsenal), Mina Tanaka (INAC Kobe Leonessa), Yuka Momiki (OL Reign)