China News Service, February 8 (Xinhua) The Chinese Football Association website recently announced that Japanese head coach Kenichi Uemura has been hired as the head coach of the Chinese U-16 national men's football team.
The announcement mentioned that in order to further prepare for the 2024 U-17 Asian Cup qualifiers, U-17 Asian Cup and 2025 U-17 World Cup, after review by the expert evaluation group, the Chinese Football Association decided to hire Kenichi Uemura after research and approval. He is the head coach of China's U-16 national men's football team.
Image source: Chinese Football Association website
Data shows that Kenichi Uemura, who was born in 1974, played for many J-League teams such as Hiroshima Sanfrecce and Osaka Sakura as a player. He was also selected for the Japanese men's football team and went to the 1996 Atlanta Olympics with the team.
After retiring, Kenichi Uemura transitioned into a coach. He has coached Japanese teams such as Sanuki Tamami and Kumamoto Crimson U-18 teams.
Kenichi Uemura has been coaching in China for several years. He once led the Wuhan City representative team to win the third place in the first student (youth) games (open group) football boys 17-18 years old group, and led the Wuhan Three Towns 05 team to win the third place. 3rd place in the 2nd China Youth Football League and Chinese Football Association National Youth Football League (men's U-19 group).
In the first training list of the U-16 men's football national team in 2024, Shandong Taishan Football Club and Evergrande Football School have 9 and 8 finalists respectively.
Image source: Screenshot of Chinese Football Association website
According to the plan, the U-16 men's national football team will organize a training camp at the National Football Training Base from February 14th to 18th, and finally select 20 outstanding players to go to Germany for training from February 18th to March 11th. Media reports stated that Kenichi Uemura will join the U-16 men’s football national team after the Spring Festival.
It is reported that this team will organize multiple domestic training camps and overseas training sessions this year to further improve the players' playing ability.
In the final of the East Asian Football Confederation U-15 Men's Football Championship last year, the Chinese team defeated the Japanese team 4:2 in a penalty shootout and won the championship. In that competition, the Chinese team also defeated the Northern Mariana Islands team 23:0 and drew with the South Korean team 1:1.
The team managed by Kenichi Uemura this time is based on the U-15 men's national football team that performed well last year as its main framework.
In the eyes of Song Kai, the new chairman of the Chinese Football Association, focusing on youth training is the only way to develop the Chinese men's football team.
"Let good coaches be willing to devote themselves to youth training, and at the same time make youth training international." Song Kai once said. (over)