“There are only 12 teams in the Olympics, so every team can reach the final, so every team has a chance to win, including Japan,” Iwabuchi told the-AFC.com.

“Compared to other teams, perhaps the Japanese national team has more togetherness, which can be a strength in this type of tournament.

“A lot of the players who played in the World Cup last year will have gained more experience after this one year and they will have grown and improved since then.”

Efficiency in front of goal will be key and the Nadeshiko have a great record of scoring in 24 of their last 25 matches, with Iwabuchi keen to see one United States-based player shine.

“One player that I'm looking forward to seeing is Mina Tanaka. If she can show her scoring touch, I'm confident Japan can go a long way.”

Prior to her retirement 10 months ago, Iwabuchi was twice named the Asian Young Footballer of the Year (2008, 2009), picked up the Golden Ball at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup (2008) and won the Most Valuable Player award at the AFC Women’s Asian Cup™ 2018.

A long-time advocate of Asian players plying their trade overseas in stronger leagues, the 31-year-old believes Australia could lean on this experience going into Paris 2024.

As many as 15 of the players selected by Tony Gustavsson play their club football in England, France, Spain and the United States, with three of them with Iwabuchi’s former club, Arsenal.

“The Australian team has a lot of players who play in Europe and the United States, with a good balance of experience and young players.

“I think my friend Caitlin Foord is a very good player and can score like Sam (Kerr), so I think they will be able to perform even though they will miss Sam,” she added.