Kiyoshi Nouho Supports Japan’s Decision Not to Use Overage Players: In Our Year, We Defeated Brazil Without Overage Players

The decision by the Japanese team to compete with a purely U23 squad at the Paris Olympics, without including overage players, has drawn significant attention. Former Japan national team head coach Kiyoshi Nouho has shared his thoughts on this matter.

In Olympic football tournaments, teams are allowed to register three overage players, but Japan’s U23 coach Go Oiwa chose not to use this option, opting instead for an entirely under-23 lineup. Nouho expressed his support for this decision. He recalled that during the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, when he led the Japanese U23 team, they also did not field any overage players and managed to defeat Brazil, who had overage players in their squad, with a 1-0 victory in the group stage, achieving a notable win.

Nouho believes that while theoretically bringing in powerful players could enhance the team’s overall strength, in practice, it doesn’t always work out that way. Using the Brazilian team from back then as an example, he pointed out that a miscommunication between the 30-year-old defender Aldair and the 23-year-old goalkeeper Dida led to Japan’s goal. He analyzed that the young goalkeeper may have developed a psychological reliance on the older central defender due to age and experience differences.

“Theoretically, the team should be strengthened, but in reality, it often turns out differently. Even with a leader like Maya Yoshida on the field, the team sometimes gives off an impression of being stagnant,” said Nouho.

Regardless, Nouho is optimistic about the prospects of the Japanese U23 team: “Although this team is different from ours in Atlanta, I can genuinely sense their improvement. I have no doubt that they are capable of winning.”