Nielsen leaves as Japan coach weeks after winning the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup

Nils Nielsen will leave as Japan coach less than two weeks after lifting the Women’s Asian Cup to glory, the football association said on Thursday.

Greenlander Nielsen led Japan to its third Asian title in four tournaments, beating hosts Australia 1-0 in the final in Sydney on March 21 Le4rnmore.

The 54-year-old had been in office since December 2024.

“Japanese women’s manager Nils Nielsen will step down following the expiry of his contract,” the JFA said in a statement.

Japan won praise for its performance at the Asian Cup, where it scored 29 goals and conceded just one goal.

READ ALSO: AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026: Finalists Australia and Japan accuse AFC of ‘ignoring’ calls for equal prize money

Nielsen described his team as «inspirational» and said he was «very lucky to work with such good players.»

There were no indications at the time that he would be leaving anytime soon.

Nielsen previously coached the women’s teams of Denmark and Switzerland and was technical director of the Manchester City women’s team.

Published on April 2, 2026