Minoru Kobata facts for kids
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Minoru Kobata | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | November 24, 1946 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Saitama, Saitama, Empire of Japan | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.73 m | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Midfielder | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1962–1964 | Johoku High School | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 1965–1968 | Meiji University | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1969–1975 | Hitachi | 99 | (22) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 99 | (22) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| National team | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1970–1973 | Japan | 13 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
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Honours
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Minoru Kobata (小畑 穣, born November 24, 1946) is a former Japanese football player. He was a talented midfielder who played for the Japan national team.
Playing for Clubs
Minoru Kobata was born in Saitama, Japan. He started his football journey in high school. After finishing university, he joined a club called Hitachi in 1969.
He played a big part in his team's success. In 1972, Hitachi won two major titles. They won the Japan Soccer League, which was the top football league in Japan. They also won the Emperor's Cup, a famous knockout competition.
His team won the Emperor's Cup again in 1975. Minoru Kobata played for Hitachi until he retired in 1975. During his time in the league, he played 99 games and scored 22 goals. He was even chosen as one of the best players in the league in 1970.
Playing for Japan
Minoru Kobata also played for his country, the Japan national team. He made his first appearance for Japan on July 31, 1970. This game was against the Hong Kong team.
Later that year, he was chosen to represent Japan at the 1970 Asian Games. This is a big sports event for countries in Asia. He also played in games to qualify for the 1974 FIFA World Cup in 1973. He played a total of 13 games for Japan until 1973.
Special Awards
Minoru Kobata received an important award during his career.
- Japan Soccer League Best Eleven: 1970 - This means he was chosen as one of the best 11 players in the league for that year.
