Kojiro Kaimoto
Kojiro Kaimoto | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 14, 1977 Suita, Osaka, Japan |
| Occupation | Professional footballer (retired) |
| Years active | 1996–2009 |
| Known for | Japanese professional footballer, played for Gamba Osaka, Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma, Nagoya Grampus Eight, Albirex Niigata, Tokyo Verdy, Bonnyrigg White Eagles, North Queensland Fury |
is a retired Japanese professional footballer. His older sibling, Keiji Kaimoto, also played football at the professional level.
Early life
Born on October 14, 1977, in Suita, Osaka, Kaimoto began his journey in football from this region.
Professional career
Starting his career in 1996 with the hometown team Gamba Osaka, Kaimoto initially operated as a midfielder. Although he featured regularly during the initial years, injuries prevented him from playing throughout 1999. In 2001, he moved abroad to South Korea's Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma, where he was part of squads that secured back-to-back K League titles in 2001 and 2002. Upon returning to Japan in 2003, he signed with Nagoya Grampus Eight, where he shared the field with his brother Keiji, mainly occupying the right midfield position for two seasons. Both brothers transferred to Albirex Niigata in 2005; however, Kojiro's game time was limited there. Midway through 2006, he joined Tokyo Verdy competing in the J2 League, frequently deployed as a right-back and right midfielder. The team achieved promotion to J1 League in 2008, but Kaimoto's participation decreased that season. In the final phase of his career during 2009, he played for Australian clubs Bonnyrigg White Eagles and North Queensland Fury before retiring in October.
Club
| Club record | League | Cup | League Cup | Overall | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Club | League | Appearances | Goals | Appearances | Goals | Appearances | Goals | Appearances | Goals |
| Japan | League | Emperor's Cup | J.League Cup | Total | ||||||
| 1996 | Gamba Osaka | J1 League | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| 1997 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 13 | 1 | ||
| 1998 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | ||
| 1999 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2003 | Nagoya Grampus Eight | J1 League | 18 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 21 | 2 |
| 2004 | 21 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 28 | 2 | ||
| 2005 | Albirex Niigata | J1 League | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| 2006 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | ||
| 2006 | Tokyo Verdy | J2 League | 26 | 1 | 1 | 0 | - | 27 | 1 | |
| 2007 | 26 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 26 | 0 | |||
| 2008 | J1 League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Career total | 131 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 22 | 0 | 155 | 6 | ||