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6h ago

JFA Names Michihisa Kano Permanent Nadeshiko Japan Coach

The move signals a shift toward a harder-edged style for a team already booked for the 2027 World Cup.

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Apr 11, 2026; San Jose, California, USA; Japan interim head coach Michihisa Kano walks on the pitch before the game against the United States at PayPal Park. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
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Overview

  • Michihisa Kano was promoted to full-time head coach on Thursday after serving as caretaker for Japan’s women’s national team.
  • His first match in charge is a June 6 friendly against South Africa at Yanmar Hanasaka Stadium in Osaka.
  • Kano previously worked as Nils Nielsen’s assistant and led a three-game U.S. tour last month that ended with one win and two losses.
  • The appointment follows the JFA’s choice not to renew Nielsen’s contract less than two weeks after he won the Asian Cup as the team’s first foreign-born coach.
  • Kano said he wants a side that plays with aggression, toughness and vigour as Japan prepares for the 2027 World Cup in Brazil, for which it has already qualified.