View: Tottenham and Chelsea will have fingers crossed over Maika Hamano amid impressive Asian Cup run

Tottenham Hotspur loanee Maika Hamano is quietly going about her business for Japan at the 2026 Asian Cup.

Hamano, who swapped Chelsea for Tottenham on loan until the end of the season in January, started for Japan in their tournament opener against Chinese Taipei.

While she did not score in that 2-0 win, and came off the bench in Japan’s 11-0 thumping of India on 7 March, head coach Nils Nielsen picked the 21-year-old for their final group stage match against Vietnam.

Versatile forward Hamano, who bagged an assist in the India rout, scored her first goal of the tournament in the 4-0 victory on Tuesday as Japan topped Group C to progress to the quarter-finals.

As Tottenham and Chelsea prepare for the return of the Women’s Super League, Hamano’s Asian Cup journey may only just be beginning.

Competition among Japan’s attack heats up

Going by the numbers, Japan may be the team to beat at the Asian Cup. They won all three of their group games with a goal difference of 17 scored and conceded none.

Against Vietnam, Japan played in a 4-1-3-2 formation, with Hamano on the left side of the three. Despite that positioning, she was on hand on the right side of the attack to sweep in her country’s second following a slick move.

Competition for places in the Japan starting XI is fierce, with Kiko Seike and Riko Ueki scoring four goals apiece so far.

Hamano plays further back, but there is no guarantee she will start in the last eight against the Philippines.

Incidentally, Nielsen was delighted with Japan’s performance against Vietnam and warned that they can get even better. However, he urged his players not to rest on their laurels as tougher tests lie ahead.

He said, “I think we need to show that we can defend as well, not just attack. We’ll spend time on that in the coming days, and also work on improving our transition moments. At the same time, I hope we can continue creating as many chances as we are now when playing forward.”

There is no doubt that parent club Chelsea, who signed Hamano in 2023, and Tottenham will be keeping a watchful eye on how she gets on in Australia.

What’s next for Tottenham’s Maika Hamano?

A tougher test could come against the Philippines on Sunday, although they did finish third in Group A behind South Korea and tournament hosts Australia.

If Japan reach the last four, they are most likely to play Group A winners South Korea, with the likes of Group B winners China or hosts Australia potentially waiting in the final.

This is the 21st edition of the Asian Cup, but Japan have only won it twice, as they beat Australia in the 2014 and 2018 finals.

From Tottenham’s perspective, they will hope that Hamano comes back in one piece ahead of some crunch WSL fixtures.

Martin Ho’s Tottenham sit fifth in the table ahead of a home clash with Everton on Sunday, before travelling to league leaders Manchester City on 21 March.

Hamano is likely to miss both of those matches, regardless of how Japan do (as the tournament’s final fixtures run from 17-21 March), but she could return for the North London Derby against Arsenal on 28 March.

Spurs are level on points with their fierce rivals, although the Gunners have two games in hand. Tottenham have an outside chance of qualifying for Europe, and if they want to achieve that dream, they may need Hamano’s help.

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