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Japan's head coach has praised her players following their group stage journey and a comfortable win over the Super Falcons.
The Asian side defeated Nigeria 3-1 in their last group-stage game as they qualified with six points to the quarter-finals.
The Super Falcons failed to register any points, with three losses but could only encourage themselves with one goal in the competition.
Futoshi Ikeda expressed relief after his team's victory over the Super Falcons in their last Olympic group match in Paris 2024.
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Japan coach comment after the win
The Japanese coach was pleased that his squad had made it out of the infamous "Group of Death" and secured a quarterfinal spot.
According to AFC, Futoshi said, “First of all, I’m happy that we were able to get through this tough group.
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“Even though we lost the first match, we managed to win against Brazil but the manner in which it was won made it very emotional and that made the next match difficult but we fought well.
“Things haven’t been easy, we had a lot of things happen with a few injuries but I’m happy to see us overcoming that and showcasing the team’s strength.
“Recovery is key for the next few days. At the Olympics, the best eight teams are all strong. When we face them, we will take a good look at what we can do and get in shape.”
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To secure all three points against the Brazilians, the Nadeshiko bounced back from their defeat against Spain by scoring two goals in the match's closing minutes.
Japan needed at least one point to guarantee their spot in the quarterfinals, but they easily defeated Randy Waldrum's team 3-1.
Maiko Hamano, Mina Tanaka, and Hikaru Kitagawa all scored Japan goals with Jennifer Echegini's incredible goal only a consolation for the 11-time African Champions.
Japan and the United States of America will square off in Saturday's Olympic quarterfinal in Paris.
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