| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Kodai Sano[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 25 September 2003[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Tsuyama, Okayama, Japan | ||
| Height | 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in)[1] | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | NEC Nijmegen | ||
| Number | 23 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| FC Viparte | |||
| –2021 | Yonago Kita HS | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2022–2023 | Fagiano Okayama | 50 | (5) |
| 2023– | NEC Nijmegen | 19 | (2) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2023– | Japan U20 | 11 | (2) |
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23:00, 7 October 2023 (WIB) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 27 May 2023 | |||
Kodai Sano (佐野 航大, Sano Kodai, born 25 September 2003) is a Japanese professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Eredivisie club NEC Nijmegen.
Club career
A graduate of the Yonago Kita High School,[2][3] Sano signed his first professional contract with J2 League side Fagiano Okayama in October 2021.[4][5]
He made his professional debut for the club during the 2022 season, scoring three goals in 28 league matches.[3]
On 14 August 2023, Fagiano Okayama announced that they reached an agreement with Dutch side NEC Nijmegen for the transfer of Sano on a permanent deal;[3][6] the deal was made official three days later, as the player signed a five-year contract with the Eredivisie club.[7][8] In the process, Sano became NEC's second Japanese-born signing of the season, following Koki Ogawa.[8]
He made his debut for the club on 16 September 2023, coming on as a substitute for Rober in the 59th minute of a 4–0 league loss to PSV.[9]
International career
Sano has represented Japan at under-20 level, having taken part in both the 2023 AFC U-20 Asian Cup and the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup.[10]
Personal life
Sano is the younger brother of fellow professional footballer Kaishu Sano.[4]
Career statistics
Club
- As of 7 October 2023
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | League cup[b] | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Fagiano Okayama | 2022 | J2 League | 28 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1[c] | 0 | 29 | 3 |
| 2023 | 20 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 2 | ||
| Total | 48 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 50 | 5 | ||
| NEC Nijmegen | 2023–24 | Eredivisie | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Career total | 51 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 53 | 5 | ||
- Notes
- ^ Appearances in the Emperor's Cup and the KNVB Cup.
- ^ Appearances in the J. League Cup.
- ^ Appearances in the J1 League promotion-relegation playoffs.
References
- ^ a b c "FIFA U-20 World Cup Argentina 2023™ SQUAD LIST: Japan (JPN)" (PDF). FIFA. 22 May 2023. p. 15. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
- ^ "インハイ優秀選手33名発表!劇的Vの青森山田からMF松木やCB丸山ら最多8名選出!". ゲキサカ (in Japanese). 22 August 2021. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
- ^ a b c "岡山、U-20日本代表MF佐野航大のナイメヘン移籍を発表". DAZN (in Japanese). 14 August 2023. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
- ^ a b "兄とJで戦う夢実現へ。米子北高MF佐野航大が岡山内定!". ゲキサカ (in Japanese). 13 October 2021. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
- ^ "佐野航大選手（米子北高校） 来季新加入内定のお知らせ". Fagiano Okayama (in Japanese). 13 October 2021. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
- ^ "佐野航大選手 NECナイメヘン（オランダリーグ1部）へ完全移籍のお知らせ". Fagiano Okayama (in Japanese). 14 August 2023. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
- ^ "Kodai Sano nieuwe aanwinst N.E.C." NEC Nijmegen (in Dutch). 17 August 2023. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
- ^ a b "NEC haalt met Sano tweede Japanner binnen". RTL Nieuws (in Dutch). 17 August 2023. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
- ^ "PSV kent tegen NEC zorgeloze generale voor weerzien met Arsenal". Voetbal International (in Dutch). 16 September 2023. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
- ^ "佐野航大がNECナイメヘンと正式契約、テクニカル・ディレクターが才能発掘の経緯を語る「U-20W杯で…」". ゲキサカ (in Japanese). 18 August 2023. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
External links
- Kodai Sano at Soccerway
- Kodai Sano at WorldFootball.net
- Kodai Sano at jleague.co
- Kodai Sano at jleague.jp (in Japanese)
- Kodai Sano at gekisaka.jp (in Japanese)
This page was last edited on 16 March 2024, at 11:43