Durham Reporter

The North Carolina Courage have exercised their option to complete the permanent acquisition of midfielder Manaka Matsukubo from Japanese club Mynavi Sendai for an agreed-upon fee and signed her to a contract extension through the 2025 NWSL season.

The Courage first acquired Manaka via loan last July with the option to complete a permanent transfer this month. The 2023 UKG Challenge Cup Final MVP, Manaka has integrated well with the Courage both on and off the field.

“We are thrilled to officially have Manaka as a part of our team and club. For her to have the game and technical intelligence she possesses, at her age, is something you don’t often see. We can’t wait to continue to see her evolution here in North Carolina and for her to continue to add to the success of our club. Today is a great day for us here in Courage Country,” said Head Coach Sean Nahas.

She has logged 1,109 minutes across 17 regular season fixtures – 13 starts – with a goal on seven shots on target and two assists with 11 chances created. She has won 15 of 20 tackles and 69 duels. She appeared in both playoff fixtures of the 2023 UKG Challenge Cup, helping the Courage claim the trophy for the second straight season by scoring an insurance goal in the 2-0 win over Racing Louisville in the Final at WakeMed Soccer Park.

Manaka was already on the Courage active roster and accounted for an international spot, so neither of those numbers is affected by this move. The Courage roster remains with 26 active players and four of seven international spots occupied.