Seiji KIMURA and Kashif BANGNAGANDE. Longtime “allies” since U-15 Fukagawa, this season they will once again wear the same uniform on Tokyo’s soil. After being promoted to the top team and growing through multiple loan spells, KIMURA became a key player for the U-23 Japan national team of the Paris Olympics generation last season, gaining global experience before returning to the Blue-Red. Meanwhile, Kashif honed his skills in Tokyo and made his senior national team debut in March 2023. Although he was unable to participate in the main tournament of the Paris Olympics due to injury, he evolved into a distinctive presence on the pitch. The two, having taken different paths and each evolved, will reunite in the 2025 season. What will both players think anew? In the first part, they talked about memories from the time apart and the performance expected from academy graduates.
──Last season, I believe both of you had various experiences while being apart. Looking back, what kind of season was it for you?
Seiji KIMURA There were both joyful and frustrating moments. While I experienced winning the AFC U-23 Asian Cup and participating in the Paris Olympics, my loan spell at Sagan Tosu ended with disappointing results. I think it's rare to go through such extreme experiences in the same season. Mentally, it was probably a very unstable time, but even so, I kept playing throughout the season and was able to perform with the support of many people, which I believe was a very valuable experience.
Kashif BANGNAGANDE It was a frustrating season for me. I think the first half of the season from the start went very smoothly. In the league matches, I was able to play at the best pace I’ve ever had, and I also had the highest number of goals and assists in terms of appearances. However, at a crucial moment, I got injured, and honestly, it was frustrating that the injury never fully healed and continued to affect me.
──Do you feel the changes in each other after reuniting for the first time in a while?
Kimura I haven’t played together with him since returning to Tokyo, so there are many things I don’t know, but I think in terms of private life, he probably hasn’t changed that much.
Yoshifumi It doesn't feel like we haven't met in a while.
Kimura We hardly saw each other for a whole year...
Yoshifumi That's right. We hardly meet. We only contact each other occasionally.
Kimura We didn’t keep in frequent contact, but when I came back, it really felt like we were together all along as usual, so I don’t think we’ve changed that much.
──During this past year apart, there must be areas where you feel you have changed. What kind of image do you want to show each other?
Kimura I think my positioning in build-up play, the choices of where to pass, and how I carry the ball have improved a lot since last season, and I believe I can show plays that make people think, "He’s gotten better." What surprised me was that Yasu-kun (Yasuki KIMOTO) also said that to me. He asked, "I felt your build-up play got really good at Tosu and with the national team, but where did you learn that?" That made me realize for myself, "I have gotten better." It was definitely something that made me happy and gave me confidence. When I return and we can play together again, if I’m playing as the left center-back, I will definitely stand next to him. I want to make him feel that it’s easier than before.
Yoshifumi Please do (laughs). I feel that I have grown in my play, or rather, I have become able to feel calmness and composure during matches, and I believe I have really acquired that. Also, I personally feel that the range of my play has expanded a bit, but since I haven’t been able to play soccer for about seven months since then, I don’t know how it will be when I return. However, I think it’s an area where I have grown, so I’m looking forward to it myself.
──You are being modest, but your play just before the injury was truly wonderful to watch, and although you had a strong attacking image, your contribution on defense also increased significantly. This time, won’t you be able to support Kimura in defense as well?
Yoshifumi That's right. However, whether I can actually help in defense... (laughs).
Kimura It would be great if I didn't have to cover anymore (laughs). But it was that good. After all, I was concerned about the Tokyo matches and watched them from time to time.
──This season, nearly half of the top team is composed of players from Tokyo's academy. This is an unprecedented number. Among them, the two who belong to the middle generation, how do you want to lead this team?
Kashifu The oldest is Kento-kun (Kento HASHIMOTO), and below him is Go-kun (Go HATANO)….
Kimura Then there’s Tsuba-kun (Tsubasa TERAYAMA), and then us… Everyone’s really good. After that, it’s about how much we can avoid slacking off on the pitch and not slack off ourselves. Everyone must be highly skilled to have been promoted and be on the current team. As for looking after the academy graduates… I don’t think we’re at the point where we have to take care of them yet.
Yoshifumi We just need to lead by example with our attitude. If we play in matches and become central figures, it will naturally lead to us guiding the team.
Kimura That definitely communicates more effectively than words. Seeing seniors and juniors from the academy working hard makes others think, 'I want to do my best too!' The best way to inspire that is by playing in matches and performing well.
──I am a little surprised not only by Taiyo YAMAGUCHI and Wataru GOTO, who were promoted this season, but also by the academy players participating in the camp and playing freely. Looking back on your first year as a professional and the time you participated in practice, how do you see it?
Kimura I was totally scared stiff (laughs). During my first year and when I was a trainee.
Kashifu Seeing them play so freely there is really impressive. I also somewhat regret how timid I was. That’s why whenever academy players join practice, I’ve always encouraged them to "go for it boldly." I was conscious of that, so I think it’s a good thing that we’ve created an environment where they can play freely without feeling pressured. However, the strictness of the top team that we saw during our academy days must never be erased. We want to show them "this is the top team," while encouraging them to not be intimidated and to break through. Since we are also academy graduates, I think it’s easier for us to connect with them, so I want to keep talking to them as much as possible going forward.
──What kind of coach is Rikizo Matsuhashi, if you could describe him again?
Yoshifumi I haven't had a long time to talk yet, but listening to the meeting, my first impression was that he is a very honest person. It's hard to express, but I get the impression that he is a serious person who has no facade, thinks deeply about things, and sincerely engages in conversation with others.
Kimura Rikizo-san’s intentions are very easy to understand. He conveys them very carefully. In recent seasons, we’ve had foreign managers consecutively, but I think communication is a strength of Japanese managers, and Rikizo-san’s ability to convey things adds to that. Personally, I wondered, "Why does he use such polite language so much?" The meetings were also conducted in polite language, weren’t they?
Kashifu I might not have been that aware of it.
Kimura He speaks to the players entirely in polite language. Because of that, there’s no sense of pressure. I think that’s one of the reasons they can play so freely. I don’t know if it’s intentional, but he is really very polite. The coach himself said he’s “nervous” about this new challenge, so I thought he’s an honest person. He comes down to our level and meets our gaze, saying it’s okay to say whatever we want. He’s easy to talk to, and if anything happens, he’s a coach you can easily approach. He doesn’t intimidate people, and the atmosphere during practice never turns sour—that’s because of Mr. Rikizo’s personality.
To be continued in the latter part
Text by Kohei Baba (Freelance Writer)
