Fifa Women’s World Cup: coach Futoshi Ikeda hails ‘positive vibes’ with Japan first into knockout stage, beating Costa Rica

‘Some of the players are at a World Cup for the first time but they are really energetic and that makes me so happy,’ Ikeda says

Spain’s 5-0 win over Zambia confirms both sides become the first to progress, while Canada recover from bizarre goal conceded to Ireland

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Hikaru Naomoto (right) is ecstatic after scoring Japan’s first goal. Photo: Kyodo

Published: 5:06pm, 26 Jul 2023Updated: 10:20pm, 26 Jul 2023

Japan booked their place in the Women’s World Cup knockout stages as forwards Naomoto Hikaru and Fujino Aoba scored twice in two minutes in a 2-0 win over Costa Rica on Wednesday.

Their passage from Group C was confirmed when Spain later thrashed Zambia 5-0, matching the score the Japanese put past the Africans in their opening game.

And Spanish coach Jorge Vilda warned his side’s best was still to come after they, too, sealed a last-16 place, with Jennifer Hermoso and Alba Redondo each scoring twice in Auckland.

The 2011 world champions Japan made it a perfect record of six points without conceding a goal as they cruised to victory in front of a crowd just shy of 7,000 in Dunedin – the lowest attendance so far at the tournament in Australia and New Zealand.

Spain’s Alba Redondo (left) and Irene Guerrero celebrate after Redondo scored their fifth goal. Photo: AP

“We did what we needed to do and we did it well,” said Japan coach Futoshi Ikeda. “Some of the players are at a World Cup for the first time but they are really energetic and that makes me so happy.