Japanese Non-league Football News

The 26th Western Japan Football Tournament was completed in Yamaguchi on Sunday, FC Mi-o Biwako Kusatsu emerging as the shock winners of the competition. They beat Kansai League rivals Banditonce Kobe 3-0 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in the play-off game to decide the first and second-place teams.

In the other three fixtures, V Varen Nagasaki from Kyushu claimed third position with a comfortable 3-0 win over the ultimately disappointing Fagiano Okayama; in fifth were FC Central Chugoku, penalty shoot-out victors at the expense of Kamatamare Sanuki; and Nippon Steel Oita condemned Shikoku's Nangoku Kochi to the wooden spoon with an emphatic 7-3 drubbing. The full results and final rankings for the competition are as follows.



The ant men of Fagiano Okayama (red) against V Varen Nagasaki

Group 1

Fri 23 Feb: Match 1: Banditonce Kobe 6-2 FC Central Chugoku
Fri 23 Feb: Match 2: V Varen Nagasaki 3-1 Nangoku Kochi

Sat 24 Feb: Match 3: Banditonce Kobe 3-1 V Varen Nagasaki
Sat 24 Feb: Match 4: FC Central Chugoku 5-4 Nangoku Kochi

Group 2

Fri 23 Feb: Match 5: Fagiano Okayama 8-1 Nippon Steel Oita
Fri 23 Feb: Match 6: Kamatamare Sanuki 2-3 FC Mi-o Biwako Kusatsu

Sat 24 Feb: Match 7: Fagiano Okayama 1-2 FC Mi-o Biwako Kusatsu
Sat 24 Feb: Match 8: Nippon Steel Oita 0-3 Kamatamare Sanuki

Sun 25 Feb: Tournament Decider: Banditonce Kobe 1-1 FC Mi-o Biwako Kusatsu (FC Mi-o won 3-0 on pens)
Sun 25 Feb: 3rd / 4th place Decider: V Varen Nagasaki 3-0 Fagiano Okayama
Sun 25 Feb: 5th / 6th place Decider: FC Central Chugoku 1-1 Kamatamare Sanuki (FC Central won 3-2 on pens)
Sun 25 Feb: 7th / 8th place Decider: Nangoku Kochi 3-7 Nippon Steel Oita

1. FC Mi-o Biwako Kusatsu
2. Banditonce Kobe
3. V Varen Nagasaki
4. Fagiano Okayama
5. FC Central Chugoku
6. Kamatamare Sanuki
7. Nippon Steel Oita
8. Nangoku Kochi