The Taiwanese women’s team will have a major upgrade as they prepare for their final round of World Cup qualification tournament in November. Minori Wakabayashi and Maho Tanaka, two of the best overseas players in the Mulan League have both naturalized and become Taiwanese citizens after both met the country’s residency rules.

Wakabayashi, the current Mulan league, MVP, has been a hugely impactful player in the domestic league since her arrival from Japanese club JEF United back in 2018. The Kaohsiung Attackers midfielder announced her naturalization on her Instagram yesterday and the 32 year-old has already made it clear that she wishes to play for Taiwan in future international competitions.

Tanaka, a striker who plays for the Taichung Blue Whale, is another huge addition to the women’s national team. The 25-year-old came up through the Japanese academy system but then moved to Taiwan to play university soccer for National Taiwan University. After stellar collegiate career that included a brilliant free kick to win the 2020 University Finals, Tanaka then moved up to the professional ranks and has been one of the more reliable strikers in the Mulan league.

Although neither player has been officially called up to the Taiwanese team, it seems extremely likely both will be invited to the next round of national team training camps. Moreover, in similar fashion, both newly naturalized players will almost certainly be in Taiwanese colors for their national side’s last chance to qualify for the 2027 women’s World Cup in Brazil. The inter-confederation play-offs begin in November and will feature teams from across the various FIFA regions who did not initially qualify for the World Cup from the own regional tournaments.