Bayern’s Saki Kumagai in India
The Japanese defender is Bayern sole representation at the competition
MUNICH: The 2022 AFC Women’s Asian Cup kicks off on January 20th in India with the Final being played on February 6th. Bayern Munich will be represented by one player at the event, defender Saki Kumagai.
All twenty-five matches in the tournament will take place at the Mumbai Football Arena in Mumbai, the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai, and the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex in Pune.
Kumagai and Japan will be favourites to lift the trophy, but they’ll be looking over their shoulders at Australia and China.
This is the first year that the tournament has been expanded to 12 teams, from 8, and this will also be how teams from Asia qualify for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. With Australia already guaranteed a spot as hosts, AFC gets an additional five guaranteed spots along with two spots in the new inter-confederation tournament.
The tournament also features former Bayern players Japan’s Mana Iwabuchi and Australia’s Emily Gielnik.
(bavarianfootballworks.com)
