MUNICH: Bayern Munich announced on Tuesday they had extended their partnership with the Japanese Football Association until 2024 to encourage young Japanese players to join the club’s academy. “Japan is one of the strongest countries in Asian football. I was able to experience the Japanese enthusiasm for football at the 2002 World Cup,” Bayern chief executive and former Germany goalkeeper Oliver Kahn said in a club statement. “The continuation of the partnership with the Japanese Football Association brings us together in a common goal of developing world-class players. “We are proud we already have a world-class player in our women’s ranks in Saki Kumagai, a familiar face in Japanese football,” he added. JFA president Kozho Tashima said he wants more Japanese women players to spend time at the Bavarian giants. “In the near future, we hope to send female youth players to Bayern via our player exchange programme for our mutual development,” Tashima said in Bayern’s statement. “We can learn a lot from Bayern in areas such as player development.”