On July 22nd, the Japan Football Association(JFA) officially announced that Hajime Moriyasu has extended his contract by six months until the end of the Asian Cup, with U23 head coach Go Oiwa set to take over.

The Japan Football Association (JFA) officially announced on July 23 that head coach Hajime Moriyasu will remain in charge after the North and Central America World Cup. Moriyasu will lead the team through the Asian Cup, which will be held in Saudi Arabia in January 2027, under an unusually short-term contract. His successor has already been decided: Go Oiwa, the coach currently in charge of the U-21 national team.

Official Announcement:

Hajime Moriyasu’s Japan Team Ranks 13th in the World; Latest Ranking Above Germany Is “Impeccable”

Coach Moriyasu took charge of his former club Sanfrecce Hiroshima in 2012 and won the league title three times in four years. He then became head coach of Japan’s U-21 team in 2017 with the Tokyo Olympics as the target, finishing fourth at the Tokyo Olympics. In April 2018, after coach Vahid Halilhodzic was dismissed, he concurrently served as head coach of both the U-21 national team and the senior national team. At the Qatar World Cup, he led the team to the Round of 16 and pulled off shock victories over strong sides including Germany and Spain.

At this World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico, Japan lost 2-1 to Brazil in the first round of the knockout stage, bowing out in the round of 32. However, their FIFA ranking has continued to rise steadily, and they are currently ranked 17th in the world. Coach Moriyasu will remain in charge until the Asian Cup, to be held in Saudi Arabia in January 2027, after which coach Go Oiwa will be promoted to head coach of the senior national team while also continuing as head coach of the U21 national team targeting the Los Angeles Olympics.

Head coach Go Oiwa led Kashima Antlers to the AFC Champions League (ACL) title in 2018. In December 2021, he was appointed head coach of Japan’s U-21 national team with the Paris Olympics as the target, guiding the side to the Olympic quarterfinals. As head coach of Japan’s U-21 team preparing for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, he led the under-21 players to a second consecutive title at the AFC U23 Asian Cup in January 2026, earning high praise for his coaching ability at the youth development level. His term will run through the 2030 World Cup.

Managing Director Kazuyuki Yukawa, who attended the press conference after the board meeting, said: “Details will be explained at a press conference to be held at 2 p.m. tomorrow. President Tsuneyasu Miyamoto, Technical Committee Chairman Yamamoto, and head coach Moriyasu will attend.”