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Kyoga Nakamura (仲村 京雅, Nakamura Kyōga, born 25 April 1996) is a professional footballer who plays either as a midfielder for Singapore Premier League club Tampines Rovers. Born in Japan, where he was a youth international, he moved to Singapore in 2019 and has represented Singapore at international level since 2024.
 Nakamura with Tampines Rovers in 2024 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 25 April 1996 | ||
| Place of birth | Funabashi, Chiba, Japan | ||
| Height | 1.65 m (5 ft 5 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Tampines Rovers | ||
| Number | 10 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2012–2014 | JEF United Chiba | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2015–2017 | JEF United Chiba | 0 | (0) |
| 2015 | → YSCC Yokohama (loan) | 14 | (0) |
| 2016 | → FC Ryukyu (loan) | 3 | (0) |
| 2017 | → YSCC Yokohama (loan) | 22 | (1) |
| 2018 | YSCC Yokohama | 4 | (0) |
| 2019 | Albirex Niigata (S) | 26 | (7) |
| 2020– | Tampines Rovers | 86 | (11) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2013 | Japan U17 | 3 | (0) |
| 2013 | Japan U18 | 1 | (0) |
| 2024– | Singapore | 6 | (1) |
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 14 May 2021 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 21 December 2024 | |||
Early career
Nakamura was part of JEF United Chiba academy product where he got promoted to the senior squad in 2015.[1]
YSCC Yokohama (loan)
However, in July 2015, Nakamura was loaned out to YSCC Yokohama ahead of the 2015 J3 League season. He made his professional career debut in a 2–1 loss to FC Ryukyu on 2 August. Nakamura returned to JEF United Chiba on 31 January 2016 after his loan move contract expired.
FC Ryukyu (loan)
On 14 September 2016, Nakamura joined J3 League club FC Ryukyu on a loan deal until 31 January 2017. He made his debut for the club on 25 September against SC Sagamihara where he assisted Yuta Togashi to equalise the score at 1–1. FC Ryukyu went on to win 3–1 at the end.
Second stint at YSCC Yokohama
In February 2017, Nakamura rejoined YSCC Yokohama for his second stint on loan from JEF United Chiba. On 30 April, he scored his first professional career goal against Giravanz Kitakyushu in a 3–2 loss. At the end of the season, YSCC Yokohama decided to make the move permanent and signed Kyoga on a free transfer.
Albirex Niigata Singapore
In February 2019, Nakamura moved to Singapore to signed with Albirex Niigata (S) where he was also chosen as the club captain for the 2019 season.[2][3]
Nakamura scored seven and assisted eight times during the season, including a 35-metre lob in a 3–3 draw in July against Home United, earning him a nomination for the 'Goal of the Year' accolade. He also scored back-to-back braces against Home United and Geylang International on 27 April and 5 May respectively.[4]
Nakamura was nominated for the 'Young Player of the Year' award but lost it to Hami Syahin.[5] Albirex Niigata (S) finished 4th in the 2019 SPL.
Tampines Rovers
Nakamura was then snapped up by Singaporean giants Tampines Rovers in January 2020.[6] He made his debut for the club during the 2020 AFC Champions League qualifying play-offs in a 5–3 lost against Indonesian club Bali United which resulted in Tampines qualifying to the 2020 AFC Cup group stage instead. Nakamura went on to play in the tournament against Indonesian club, PSM Makassar, Philippines club Kaya-Iloilo and Myanmar club Shan United before the tournament was halted by the COVID-19 pandemic. On 22 February, Nakamura won his first silverware after helping Tampines win the 2020 Singapore Community Shield in a 3–0 win over Hougang United.
On 2 May 2021, Nakamura scored a brace against Young Lions in a 7–0 thrashing league win. Nakamura was also involved in the club all six fixtures during the 2021 AFC Champions League group stage matches against Japan's Gamba Osaka, Korea's Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors and Thailand's Chiangrai United. In January 2022, Nakamura was handed a new five-year deal by the Stags in an unprecedented move in Singaporean football, making it the longest contract extension in Singaporean league history. Kyoga had turned down offers from clubs in Japan, Indonesia and Thailand before reaffirming his commitment to the club.[7]
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In October 2013, Nakamura was selected for the Japan U17 national team for the 2013 U-17 World Cup in UAE.[8] He played three matches including the Round of 16 match against Sweden U17.[9]
On 2 September 2024, Nakamura was called up to the Singapore national team centralised training camp for a familiarisation stint prior to gaining Singapore citizenship.[10][11] On 6 November 2024, he received his first official call up as a Singapore citizen.[12] He made his debut for Singapore in their 3–2 international friendly victory against Myanmar on 15 November 2024, also earning a Man of the Match award for his performance.[13][14]
Nakamura scored his first international goal on 14 December 2024 against East Timor at the Hàng Đẫy Stadium during the 2024 ASEAN Championship.[15]
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Nakamura was born in Funabashi of Chiba Prefecture in Japan.[1] He moved to Singapore in 2019, becoming a permanent resident (PR) in 2024, and subsequently a citizen later that year.[1] As both Japan and Singapore do not permit multiple citizenships in adulthood, Nakamura had relinquished his Japanese citizenship in the process.[1]
Club
Tampines Rovers
Individual
 | This section needs to be updated. (November 2024) |
Club
- As of 21 Jun 2023
| Club | Season | League | Emperor Cup | League Cup | Continental | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| JEF United Chiba | 2015 | J2 League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| YSCC Yokohama | 2015 | J3 League | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| Total | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 | ||
| JEF United Chiba | 2016 | J2 League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| FC Ryukyu | 2016 | J3 League | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Total | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | ||
| YSCC Yokohama | 2017 | J3 League | 22 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 1 |
| 2018 | J3 League | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |
| Total | 26 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 1 | ||
| Club | Season | League | Singapore Cup | League Cup | AFC Cup | Total | ||||||
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Albirex Niigata (S) | 2019 | Singapore Premier League | 23 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 7 |
| Total | 23 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 7 | ||
| Tampines Rovers | 2020 | Singapore Premier League | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 17 | 0 |
| 2021 | 21 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 27 | 3 | ||
| 2022 | 28 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 36 | 7 | ||
| 2023 | 23 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 31 | 3 | ||
| 2024–25 | 20 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 26 | 2 | ||
| Total | 106 | 13 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 137 | 15 | ||
| Career total | 172 | 21 | 17 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 208 | 23 | ||
- Notes
International
- As of match played 21 December 2024
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Singapore | 2024 | 6 | 1 |
| Total | 6 | 1 | |
Japan U17 international caps
| No | Date | Venue | Opponent | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 21 October 2013 | Sharjah Stadium, UAE |  Venezuela | 2–1 (won) | 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup |
| 2 | 24 October 2013 | Sharjah Stadium, UAE |  Tunisia | 2–1 (won) | |
| 3 | 28 October 2013 | Sharjah Stadium, UAE |  Sweden | 1–2 (lost) |
International goals
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 14 December 2024 | Hàng Đẫy Stadium, Hanoi, Vietnam |  Timor-Leste | 1–0 | 3–0 | 2024 ASEAN Championship |
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