1. Overview
Hidenori Mago (真子 秀徳Mago HidenoriJapanese, born August 3, 1982) is a former Japanese professional football player and current football coach. He primarily played as a goalkeeper. Standing at 72 in (182 cm) and weighing 157 lb (71 kg), Mago had a playing career spanning from 2005 to 2014, playing for clubs such as Sagawa Express Osaka, Sagawa Shiga FC, and Fagiano Okayama. After retiring as a player, he transitioned into coaching, focusing on goalkeeper development within the Fagiano Okayama academy system.
2. Early Life and Education
Hidenori Mago was born on August 3, 1982, in Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. For his high school education, he attended Higashi Fukuoka High School from 1998 to 2000. Following his graduation from high school, he pursued higher education at Fukuoka University of Education, where he studied from 2001 to 2004.
3. Playing Career
Hidenori Mago's playing career spanned both his youth and professional years, primarily as a goalkeeper known for his strong reflexes.
3.1. Youth Career
Mago developed his football skills during his formative years through structured academic and athletic programs. He was a part of the football team at Higashi Fukuoka High School from 1998 to 2000. Following his high school tenure, he continued to play football while attending Fukuoka University of Education from 2001 to 2004.
3.2. Professional Club Career
After graduating from university in 2005, Hidenori Mago joined Sagawa Express Osaka (later becoming part of Sagawa Shiga FC), where he played until 2006. In 2007, he moved to Sagawa Shiga FC, which was known as "Sagawa Express SC" in 2007, and remained with the club until 2008.
In 2009, Mago transferred to Fagiano Okayama, a club that had just entered the J2 League. He became a significant figure for the club, playing as their goalkeeper for six seasons. During his time at Fagiano Okayama, his teammate Ryotaro Hironaga described Mago in his blog as a goalkeeper with exceptional reflexes, comparing him to renowned Spanish goalkeeper Iker Casillas. Mago concluded his professional playing career at the end of the 2014 season with Fagiano Okayama.
3.3. Club Statistics
| Club performance | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Club | League | Apps | Goals | Cup Apps | Cup Goals | Total Apps | Total Goals |
| Japan | ||||||||
| 2005 | Sagawa Express Osaka | JFL | 22 | 0 | - | 22 | 0 | |
| 2006 | 27 | 0 | - | 27 | 0 | |||
| 2007 | Sagawa Express | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2008 | Sagawa Shiga | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0 | |
| 2009 | Fagiano Okayama | J2 League | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| 2010 | 31 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 32 | 0 | ||
| 2011 | 37 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 39 | 0 | ||
| 2012 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2013 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | ||
| 2014 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | ||
| Career totals in JFL | 71 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 71 | 0 | ||
| Career totals in J2 League | 86 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 91 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 157 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 162 | 0 | ||
4. Coaching Career
Following his retirement as a player in 2014, Hidenori Mago immediately transitioned into a coaching role within the Fagiano Okayama organization starting in 2015. He primarily focused on goalkeeper development for the club's academy teams.
His coaching progression at Fagiano Okayama is as follows:
- 2015-2018: U-18 Goalkeeper Coach
- 2019-2022: U-15 Goalkeeper Coach
- In 2020, he concurrently served as a JFA coach, specifically handling goalkeeper responsibilities for the Chugoku region.
- 2023: U-18 Goalkeeper Coach
- 2024-Present: Academy Chief Goalkeeper Coach