Koji Nakata
| Date of birth | 09 July 1979 |
| Place of birth | Shiga |
| Nationality | Japanese |
| Weight | 74 kg |
| Height | 1.82 m |
| Position | Defender |
A versatile player, Koji started J-League Kashima Antlers. He played his first match in April 1998 and settled into a defensive midfield role, playing just in front of the back four.
For the national side, he played in the 2000 Olympic games and came to prominence when his teammate Kaneko was injured. He played in the 2001 Confederations Cup and became a regular in the squad.
Despite being a defender, he has great dribbling skills and a powerful shot, scoring more than his fair share of goals for his club side.
Club stats
| Season | Team | Competition | Apps | Subs | Goals | Y | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000-01 | Japan / South Korea | Representative | 1 | ||||
| 2004-05 | Olympique Marseille | French Championnat | 3 | 1 |
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| 2005-06 | Olympique Marseille | French Championnat | 3 | 1 |
2
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Please note: Career stats are based on performances in the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.
Club matches
| Date | Match | Result | Competition | Round | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Mar 2005 | Olympique Marseille v RC Lens | W | 2-1 | French Championnat | 29 |
| 20 Mar 2005 | AS Monaco v Olympique Marseille | L | 2-1 | French Championnat | 30 |
| 03 Apr 2005 | Olympique Marseille v Paris St Germain | D | 1-1 | French Championnat | 31 |
| 09 Apr 2005 | Strasbourg v Olympique Marseille | L | 1-0 | French Championnat | 32 |
| 06 Aug 2005 | RC Lens v Olympique Marseille | L | 2-0 | French Championnat | 2 |
| 20 Aug 2005 | Rennes v Olympique Marseille | L | 3-2 | French Championnat | 4 |
| 27 Aug 2005 | Olympique Marseille v Ajaccio AC | D | 1-1 | French Championnat | 5 |
| 19 Nov 2005 | Olympique Marseille v Nantes | W | 2-1 | French Championnat | 15 |
Please note: Match history is complete for the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.
International stats
| Season | Team | Competition | Apps | Subs | Goals | Y | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998-99 | Japan | World Youth Cup | 7 | ||||
| 1999-00 | Japan | Hassan II Tournament | 1 | ||||
| 1999-00 | Japan | International Friendly | 1 | ||||
| 1999-00 | Japan | Kirin Cup | 1 | ||||
| 2000-01 | Japan | FIFA Confederations Cup | 4 | 1 |
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| 2000-01 | Japan | International Friendly | 1 | 1 |
1
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| 2000-01 | Japan | Olympics | 3 | ||||
| 2000-01 | Japan | OT | 1 | ||||
| 2001-02 | Japan | Asia Oceania Champions | 1 | ||||
| 2001-02 | Japan | FIFA World Cup | 4 |
1
|
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| 2001-02 | Japan | International Friendly | 7 |
2
|
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| 2001-02 | Japan | Kirin Cup | 4 |
1
|
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| 2002-03 | Japan | FIFA Confederations Cup | 1 | 1 |
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| 2002-03 | Japan | International Friendly | 3 | 1 |
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| 2002-03 | Japan | Kirin Cup | 1 | 2 |
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| 2003-04 | Japan | AFC Asian Cup | 1 | 3 |
2 |
1
|
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| 2004-05 | Japan | FIFA Confederations Cup | 2 |
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| 2004-05 | Japan | FIFA World Cup | 2 | 1 |
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| 2004-05 | Japan | International Friendly | 1 | ||||
| 2005-06 | Japan | FIFA World Cup | 1 |
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| 2005-06 | Japan | International Friendly | 3 | 1 |
1
|
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| 2006-07 | Japan | Kirin Cup | 1 |
Please note: Career stats are based on performances in the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.
International matches
| Date | Match | Result | Competition | Round | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 05 Apr 1999 | Cameroon v Japan | L | 2-1 | World Youth Cup | Finals group E |
| 08 Apr 1999 | Japan v USA | W | 3-1 | World Youth Cup | Finals group E |
| 11 Apr 1999 | Japan v England | W | 2-0 | World Youth Cup | Finals group E |
| 15 Apr 1999 | Japan v Portugal | W | 1-1 (5-4) | World Youth Cup | 2nd round |
| 18 Apr 1999 | Japan v Mexico | W | 2-0 | World Youth Cup | Quarter-final |
| 21 Apr 1999 | Japan v Uruguay | W | 2-1 | World Youth Cup | Semi-final |
| 24 Apr 1999 | Spain v Japan | L | 4-0 | World Youth Cup | Final |
| 15 Mar 2000 | Japan v China PR | D | 0-0 | International Friendly | |
| 06 Jun 2000 | Japan v Jamaica | W | 4-0 | HASSAN II Tournament | |
| 18 Jun 2000 | Japan v Bolivia | W | 2-0 | KIRIN CUP | |
| 02 Sep 2000 | Japan v Kuwait | W | 6-0 | OT | |
| 14 Sep 2000 | South Africa v Japan | W | 1-2 | Olympics | Finals Group D |
| 17 Sep 2000 | Slovakia v Japan | W | 1-2 | Olympics | Finals Group D |
| 20 Sep 2000 | Brazil v Japan | L | 1-0 | Olympics | Finals Group D |
| 24 Mar 2001 | France v Japan | L | 5-0 | International Friendly | |
| 25 Apr 2001 | Spain v Japan | L | 1-0 | International Friendly | |
| 31 May 2001 | Japan v Canada | W | 3-0 | FIFA Confederations Cup | Group B |
| 02 Jun 2001 | Japan v Cameroon | W | 2-0 | FIFA Confederations Cup | Group B |
| 04 Jun 2001 | Japan v Brazil | D | 0-0 | FIFA Confederations Cup | Group B |
| 07 Jun 2001 | Japan v Australia | W | 1-0 | FIFA Confederations Cup | Semi-final |
| 10 Jun 2001 | Japan v France | L | 0-1 | FIFA Confederations Cup | Final |
| 01 Jul 2001 | Japan v Paraguay | W | 2-0 | Kirin Cup | |
| 04 Jul 2001 | Japan v Yugoslavia | W | 1-0 | KIRIN CUP | |
| 15 Aug 2001 | Japan v Australia | W | 3-0 | ASIA OCEANIA CHAMPIONS | Final |
| 04 Oct 2001 | Senegal v Japan | L | 2-0 | International Friendly | |
| 07 Nov 2001 | Japan v Italy | D | 1-1 | International Friendly | |
| 21 Mar 2002 | Japan v Ukraine | W | 1-0 | International Friendly | |
| 27 Mar 2002 | Poland v Japan | W | 0-2 | International Friendly | |
| 17 Apr 2002 | Japan v Costa Rica | D | 1-1 | International Friendly | |
| 29 Apr 2002 | Japan v Slovakia | D | 3-3 | KIRIN CUP | |
| 02 May 2002 | Japan v Honduras | D | 3-3 | KIRIN CUP | |
| 14 May 2002 | Norway v Japan | L | 3-0 | International Friendly | |
| 25 May 2002 | Japan v Sweden | D | 1-1 | International Friendly | |
| 04 Jun 2002 | Japan v Belgium | D | 2-2 | FIFA World Cup | Finals group H |
| 09 Jun 2002 | Japan v Russia | W | 1-0 | FIFA World Cup | Finals group H |
| 14 Jun 2002 | Tunisia v Japan | W | 0-2 | FIFA World Cup | Finals group H |
| 18 Jun 2002 | Japan v Turkey | L | 0-1 | FIFA World Cup | Finals 2nd round |
| 16 Oct 2002 | Japan v Jamaica | D | 1-1 | KIRIN CUP | |
| 20 Nov 2002 | Japan v Argentina | L | 0-2 | International Friendly | |
| 28 Mar 2003 | Japan v Uruguay | D | 2-2 | International Friendly | |
| 16 Apr 2003 | Korea Republic v Japan | W | 0-1 | International Friendly | |
| 31 May 2003 | Japan v Korea Republic | L | 0-1 | International Friendly | |
| 08 Jun 2003 | Japan v Argentina | L | 1-4 | KIRIN CUP | |
| 11 Jun 2003 | Japan v Paraguay | D | 0-0 | KIRIN CUP | |
| 20 Jun 2003 | France v Japan | L | 2-1 | FIFA Confederations Cup | Group A |
| 22 Jun 2003 | Japan v Colombia | L | 0-1 | FIFA Confederations Cup | Group A |
| 24 Jul 2004 | Thailand v Japan | W | 1-4 | AFC Asian Cup | Group D |
| 31 Jul 2004 | Japan v Jordan | W | 1-1 (4-3) | AFC Asian Cup | Quarter-final |
| 03 Aug 2004 | Bahrain v Japan | W | 3-4 | AFC Asian Cup | Semi-final |
| 07 Aug 2004 | China PR v Japan | W | 1-3 | AFC Asian Cup | Final |
| 18 Aug 2004 | Japan v Argentina | L | 1-2 | International Friendly | |
| 17 Nov 2004 | Japan v Singapore | W | 1-0 | FIFA World Cup | Asia qualifying group 3 |
| 03 Jun 2005 | Bahrain v Japan | W | 0-1 | FIFA World Cup | World Cup - AFC 3rd Round |
| 08 Jun 2005 | Korea DPR v Japan | W | 0-2 | FIFA World Cup | World Cup - AFC 3rd Round |
| 19 Jun 2005 | Greece v Japan | W | 0-1 | FIFA Confederations Cup | Group B |
| 22 Jun 2005 | Japan v Brazil | D | 2-2 | FIFA Confederations Cup | Group B |
| 07 Sep 2005 | Japan v Honduras | W | 5-4 | International Friendly | |
| 08 Oct 2005 | Latvia v Japan | D | 2-2 | International Friendly | |
| 12 Oct 2005 | Ukraine v Japan | L | 1-0 | International Friendly | |
| 04 Jun 2006 | Japan v Malta | W | 1-0 | International Friendly | |
| 22 Jun 2006 | Japan v Brazil | L | 1-4 | FIFA World Cup | Finals group F |
| 05 Jun 2007 | Japan v Colombia | D | 0-0 | Kirin Cup | |
Please note: Match history is complete for the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.