.jpg) Minami with A.S. Roma in 2022 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 7 December 1998 | ||
| Place of birth | Yoshikawa, Saitama, Japan | ||
| Height | 1.71 m (5 ft 7 in) | ||
| Position | Centre back | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Brighton & Hove Albion | ||
| Number | 3 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Yoshikawa White Shark | |||
| –2016 | Urawa Reds | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2017–2022 | Urawa Reds | 68 | (3) |
| 2022–2025 | Roma | 73 | (6) |
| 2025– | Brighton & Hove Albion | 13 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2014 | Japan U-17 | 1 | (0) |
| 2018 | Japan U-20 | 6 | (0) |
| 2019– | Japan | 65 | (5) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 8 February 2026 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 02:51, 5 March 2026 (UTC) | |||
Moeka Minami (南 萌華, Minami Moeka; Japanese: [mina̠mi̠ moe̞ka̠]) born 7 December 1998 is a Japanese professional footballer who plays as a defender for Women's Super League club Brighton & Hove Albion and the Japan national team.
Early life
Minami was born in Saitama Prefecture on 7 December 1998. She attended high school in Saitama Prefectural Nanryō High School. She graduated from University of Tsukuba Physical Education College in 2021.[1] She began her youth career when she joined the junior youth team of Urawa Red Diamonds Ladies.
Club career
Urawa Reds
She was promoted to Nadeshiko League club Urawa Reds from the youth team in 2017.[2]
AS Roma
On 24 July 2022, Minami signed a two-year contract with Italian Serie A club Roma.[3] She made her debut for the club on 19 August 2022 in a 3–1 UEFA Champions League win against Glasgow City.[4] On 10 September 2022, she scored her first goal for the club in a Serie A match against AC Milan.[5] Later in the same month, she scored again for the club in a 4–1 win against Sparta Praha in the UEFA Champions League.[6] On 5 November, Minami won her first silverware with Roma as they beaten Juventus in a penalty shootout in the 2022 Supercoppa Italiana.[7] On 29 April 2023, she helped Roma clinched the 2022–23 Serie A title in a 2–1 win against Fiorentina, their first league title in club history.[8]
On 8 February 2024, Minami penned a two-year contract extension with Roma which keeps her with the club until 30 June 2026.[9] She won her second Serie A title back to back with Roma at the end of the 2023–24 Serie A season.[10]
Brighton & Hove Albion
On 21 June 2025, it was announced that Minami had signed for Women's Super League club Brighton & Hove Albion.[11]
International career
Youth
In 2014, Minami was selected for the Japan U-17 national team for the 2014 U-17 World Cup.[12] She played one game against Paraguay in the group stage. Japan went on to win the championship.
Minami was selected for the Japan U-20 national team for the 2018 U-20 World Cup.[13] She played all six matches as center-back and team captain. Japan won the championship and Minami received the Bronze Ball award.
Senior
In February 2019, Minami was selected for the Japan national team for the SheBelieves Cup. At this tournament, on 2 March, she debuted as center back-against Brazil.[14]
On 10 May 2019, Minami was included in the 23-player squad for the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup.[15]
Minami was selected as part of the 22 players squad for the 2020 Summer Olympics held in Japan in 2021.[16] She started all 3 group matches for Japan.
On 7 January 2022, Minami was called up to the 2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup squad.[17]
On 13 June 2023, she was included in the 23-player squad for the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023.[18]
On 14 June 2024, Minami was included in the Japan squad for the 2024 Summer Olympics.[19]
Minami was part of the Japan squad that won the 2025 SheBelieves Cup.[20]
Career statistics
Club
- As of match played 22 February 2026
| Club | Season | League | National Cup[a] | League Cup[b] | Continental[c] | Others | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Urawa Reds | 2017 | Nadeshiko League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 3 | 0 | ||
| 2018 | Nadeshiko League | 14 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 20 | 1 | |||
| 2019 | Nadeshiko League | 17 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 1 | — | — | 26 | 2 | |||
| 2020 | Nadeshiko League | 17 | 0 | 5 | 1 | — | — | — | 22 | 1 | ||||
| 2021–22 | WE League | 20 | 2 | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | 24 | 2 | ||||
| Total | 68 | 3 | 18 | 2 | 9 | 1 | — | — | 95 | 6 | ||||
| AS Roma | 2022–23 | Serie A | 25 | 2 | 4 | 0 | — | 11 | 1 | 1[d] | 0 | 41 | 3 | |
| 2023–24 | Serie A | 24 | 1 | 5 | 2 | — | 7 | 0 | 1[d] | 0 | 35 | 3 | ||
| 2024–25 | Serie A | 24 | 3 | 5 | 0 | — | 8 | 1 | 1[d] | 0 | 38 | 4 | ||
| Total | 73 | 6 | 14 | 2 | — | 26 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 114 | 10 | |||
| Brighton & Hove Albion | 2025–26 | Women's Super League | 13 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 16 | 0 | ||
| Career Total | 154 | 9 | 34 | 4 | 10 | 1 | 26 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 225 | 16 | ||
- ^ includes Empress's Cup, Coppa Italia
- ^ includes Nadeshiko League Cup
- ^ includes UEFA Women's Champions League
- ^ a b c Appearance(s) in Supercoppa Italiana
International
- As of match played 4 March 2026[21]
| National Team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | 2019 | 10 | 0 |
| 2020 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2021 | 8 | 1 | |
| 2022 | 9 | 0 | |
| 2023 | 16 | 3 | |
| 2024 | 11 | 0 | |
| 2025 | 8 | 1 | |
| 2026 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 65 | 5 | |
- Scores and results list Japan's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Minami goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 April 2021 | Yurtec Stadium Sendai, Sendai, Japan |  Paraguay
|
1–0 | 7–0 | Friendly | |
| 2 | 14 July 2023 | Yurtec Stadium Sendai, Sendai, Japan |  Panama
|
5–0 | 5–0 | Friendly | [22] |
| 3 | 29 October 2023 | Milliy Stadium, Tashkent, Uzbekistan |  Uzbekistan
|
1–0 | 2–0 | 2024 AFC Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament | |
| 4 | 3 December 2023 | Estádio do Morumbi, São Paulo, Brazil |  Brazil
|
1–0 | 2–0 | Friendly | |
| 5 | 20 February 2025 | Shell Energy Stadium, Houston, Texas, United States |  Australia
|
4–0 | 4–0 | 2025 SheBelieves Cup |
Honours
Urawa Reds
- Nadeshiko League: 2020
- Empress's Cup: 2021
- Empress's Cup runner-up: 2019, 2020
- Nadeshiko League Cup runner-up: 2017
AS Roma
Japan U17
Japan U20
Japan
- EAFF E-1 Football Championship: 2019
- SheBelieves Cup: 2025[23]
Individual
- EAFF E-1 Football Championship MVP: 2019
- Nadeshiko League/WE League Best Eleven: 2019, 2020, 2021-2022
- Individual
References
- ^ "浦和レッズレディースニュース｜なでしこジャパンは合宿を実施中。南萌華「五輪に向けてトレーニングすることが務め。全力で取り組む」｜レッズプレス!!". redspress.jp. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
- ^ "三菱重工浦和レッズレディース | URAWA RED DIAMONDS LADIES". 三菱重工浦和レッズレディース (in Japanese). Retrieved 16 August 2025.
- ^ A.S.Roma (in Italian)
- ^ "Women's Champions League: Sparkling victory to see off Glasgow City!". asroma.com. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
- ^ "AC Milan Women beaten 2–0 by Roma as tough start continues – the highlights". SempreMilancom. 13 September 2022. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
- ^ "Roma Women 4-1 Sparta Prague: UWCL group stage secured!". asroma.com. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
- ^ a b Clancy, Conor (5 November 2022). "AS Roma beat Juventus on penalties to win Supercoppa Femminile". Total Italian Football. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
- ^ a b AP (29 April 2023). "Roma dominates and wins Serie A Women for first time". sportstar.thehindu.com. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
- ^ "Moeka Minami pens new deal with Roma Women!". www.asroma.com. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
- ^ bren (27 April 2024). "Official: Roma Wins Back-to-Back League Titles!!". Chiesa Di Totti. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
- ^ "Minami signs for Albion". Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. 21 June 2025. Retrieved 21 June 2025.
- ^ FIFA
- ^ FIFA
- ^ Japan Football Association
- ^ "なでしこジャパンの高倉麻子監督がFIFA女子ワールドカップに向けてメンバーを発表 ～国際親善試合 対スペイン女子代表（6/2＠ル・トゥケ）、FIFA女子ワールドカップ フランス 2019" [Nadeshiko Japan coach Asakura Takako announces members for FIFA Women's World Cup-International Goodwill vs. Spanish Women's National Team (6/2 @ Le Touquet), FIFA Women's World Cup France 2019] (in Japanese). Japan Football Association. 11 May 2019.
- ^ "Japan announces women's football squad for Tokyo 2020". 5 October 2021. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
- ^ "AFC Women's Asian Cup India 2022 - Selected Players / Staff". Japan Football Association. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
- ^ "Iwabuchi left out of Japan's World Cup squad". BBC Sport. Retrieved 20 June 2023.
- ^ "Nadeshiko Japan (Japan Women's National Team) squad & schedule - MS&AD Cup 2024: Noto Peninsula Earthquake Reconstruction Support Match "Ganbarou Noto" / Games of the XXXIII Olympiad (Paris 2024)". jfa.jp. Japan Football Association (JFA). 14 June 2024.
- ^ "United States vs Japan: Japan wins SheBelieves Cup". BBC Sport. 27 February 2025. Archived from the original on 27 February 2025. Retrieved 27 February 2025.
- ^ "Nadeshiko Japan | National Teams｜JFA｜Japan Football Association".
- ^ "Starting Lineup/Result | MS＆AD CUP 2023 | Nadeshiko Japan | Japan National Team | Japan Football Association". www.jfa.jp. Retrieved 16 July 2023.
- ^ Rueter, Jeff; Linehan, Meg. "Japan unseats USWNT in SheBelieves Cup, ending 5-year tournament winning streak". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 27 February 2025.
- ^ "Gran Galà del Calcio: tutti i vincitori della serata LIVE". Sky Sport (in Italian). 4 December 2023. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
External links
- Japan Football Association
- Moeka Minami – FIFA competition record (archived)
- Moeka Minami at Soccerway
- Moeka Minami at WorldFootball.net
Japan squads | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
- 1998 births
- Living people
- Football people from Saitama Prefecture
- Japanese women's footballers
- Women's association football central defenders
- Urawa Red Diamonds Ladies players
- AS Roma (women) players
- Brighton & Hove Albion W.F.C. players
- Nadeshiko League players
- Serie A (women's football) players
- Women's Super League players
- Japan women's international footballers
- 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup players
- Footballers at the 2020 Summer Olympics
- Footballers at the 2024 Summer Olympics
- Olympic footballers for Japan
- Japanese expatriate women's footballers
- Expatriate women's footballers in Italy
- Japanese expatriate sportspeople in Italy
- 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup players
- 21st-century Japanese sportswomen
- 2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup players
- 2026 AFC Women's Asian Cup players
