TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The Japan Football Association on Thursday named Dane Nils Nielsen as the first foreign manager of the women's national team.

The 53-year-old takes up the role vacated by Futoshi Ikeda, who led Nadeshiko Japan to the quarterfinals of both the 2023 World Cup and this summer's Paris Olympics. Nielsen previously managed Denmark's women's national team as well as that of Switzerland.

Until June of this year he was the technical director at English club Manchester City, currently home to the Japanese contingent of keeper Ayaka Yamashita, defender Risa Shimizu, midfielder Yui Hasegawa and forward Aoba Fujino.

The JFA in the meantime decided to stick with Go Oiwa for the men's Olympics team eyeing a place at the 2028 Los Angeles Games.

Oiwa steered Japan to the last eight at this summer's games in France, where his U-23 side, the only nation not to use an overage player, won all three group-stage matches without conceding a goal before losing 3-0 to eventual gold medalists Spain.

Japan will be aiming to reach their ninth straight Olympics in Los Angeles, a run that started in 1996 in Atlanta. Should he make it, the 52-year-old Oiwa will be the first manager to take charge at two straight Olympics during that period.