Hamano scores winner as Japan clinch Asian Cup
Sat 21 March 2026, 11:00|
Tottenham Hotspur
Maika Hamano and Toko Koga are 2026 Asian Cup champions.
In the final in Sydney on Saturday, Japan defeated host nation Australia 1-0 thanks to a stunning effort from our Maika.
Our number 23 started the showpiece at Stadium Australia and produced the moment of magic which separated the two sides, turning fantastically on the edge of the area before producing a dipping effort to beat Mackenzie Arnold on 17 minutes.
The forward played 76 minutes of the final while defender Toko played the full 90 minutes as Japan held off Australia in the final stages to claim the title.
It is the third time in the last four editions of the tournament that Japan have claimed the crown, having also taken victory in 2014 and 2018 before a third-place finish in 2022.
It was disappointment though for Clare Hunt and Australia, with Clare an unused substitute in the final.
Ahead of our Barclays Women's Super League encounter with Manchester City which kicks off at 12noon today (Saturday), Head Coach Martin Ho expressed his delight for Maika after her winning goal.
"It's a wonderful moment for Maika," Martin beamed. "She works extremely hard, she's a wonderful person and a super talented footballer. I'm delighted for her. She's got the winning goal today. Credit to her and well done to Japan. We'll make sure that we support obviously Maika, Toko and Clare when they come back."
