Overview
- The Japan Football Association confirmed on Thursday that Hajime Moriyasu will remain Japan’s men's coach through the AFC Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia and that U-21 coach Go Oiwa will take over the senior job after the tournament.
- Go Oiwa will continue to lead the U-21/U-23 teams while beginning preparations with the senior side around an international friendly in March, giving him overlapping duties to integrate young players.
- JFA president Tsuneyasu Miyamoto said the short-term extension was chosen to maximise the chance of winning the Asian Cup and to preserve tactical continuity instead of hiring a foreign coach.
- Moriyasu, who has managed Japan since 2018, said he will take full responsibility for Asian Cup selections and tactics as he seeks a first major title with the senior team after guiding Japan to recent World Cup knockout appearances.
- The Asian Cup runs Jan. 7–Feb. 5, 2027 in Saudi Arabia and places Japan in Group F with Qatar, Thailand and Indonesia, a path the JFA views as key to improving rankings and building a youth-fed squad for the 2028 Olympics and 2030 World Cup.