[Official] Japanese manager replacement confirmed! Moriyasu serves only six months... 'New commander' Oiwa system to take over after Asian Cup

*This content was translated by AI.

The Japanese national football team is preparing for a new era. Hajime Moriyasu will lead the Japanese national team only until the upcoming 2027 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup before stepping down. After the tournament, former U-21 Japan national team manager Koji Oiwa will take charge of the senior squad.

The Japan Football Association announced on the 23rd (Korean time) via its official website that "Manager Moriyasu will lead the Japanese national team until the conclusion of the Saudi Arabian Asian Cup in January next year."

His successor is Koji Oiwa, currently manager of the U-21 national team. The Japan Football Association explained that "Manager Oiwa will serve as both the A-national team manager preparing for the 2030 World Cup and the U-21 national team manager preparing for the 2028 Los Angeles (LA) Olympics."

This marks the first change in the senior national team manager in nine years. Manager Moriyasu is considered one of the most successful coaches to have led Japan's Oh Raet-dong-an (CEO) team in history. He took charge as the A-national team manager in 2018 and has been at the helm for eight years through this year.

His coaching abilities have been widely recognized. Manager Moriyasu earned praise for leading Japan past Germany and Spain consecutively at the 2022 Qatar World Cup, finishing top of their group to advance to the round of 16. He later received the AFC Men's Coach of the Year award.

At the recently concluded 2026 North, Central America and Caribbean (CONCACAF) World Cup qualifiers, Japan advanced through the group stage after competing against formidable opponents such as the Netherlands, Sweden, and Tunisia. In the round of 32, they engaged in a fierce battle with "eternal favorites" Brazil but narrowly lost 1-2.

As a result, Manager Moriyasu has etched his name as the first Japanese manager to lead the national team at two consecutive World Cups.

Following the conclusion of the CONCACAF qualifiers, attention turned to Manager Moriyasu's future plans. At that time, he stated, "Nothing has been decided yet."

Subsequently, Manager Moriyasu accepted an unusual six-month short-term contract. His final stage will be the Saudi Arabian Asian Cup. Manager Moriyasu will leave the national team after attempting to reclaim Japan's title for the first time since 2011 at the 2027 Asian Cup.

To date, Manager Moriyasu's overall record with the Japanese A-national team stands at 108 matches: 74 wins, 16 draws, and 18 losses.

Japanese media outlet 'Nikkan Sports' reported that "Manager Moriyasu accepted a six-month contract," adding that "the Japan Football Association plans not to extend the contract even if they win the Asian Cup, and will launch a new managerial system starting from international A-matches in March next year."

According to reports, Tsuneyasu Miyamoto, president of the Japan Football Association, unofficially requested Manager Moriyasu to lead the national team until the Asian Cup. It is understood that Manager Moriyasu accepted this request.

Manager Koji Oiwa, who will succeed Manager Moriyasu, has long been a coach leading Japan's Yeon Ryeong-byeol (CEO) team.

After retiring as a player and transitioning to coaching, Manager Oiwa led Kashima Antlers from 2017 to 2019. In 2018, he guided Kashima to the AFC Champions League title and also received the AFC Men's Coach of the Year award that same year.

He later took charge of Japan's Yeon Ryeong-byeol (CEO) team, leading them to the quarterfinals at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Additionally, he secured victories in both the 2024 AFC U-23 Asian Cup and the 2026 AFC U-23 Asian Cup. In 2024, he was awarded his second AFC Men's Coach of the Year honor.

Manager Oiwa will announce a new chapter as the senior national team manager following the conclusion of the 2027 Asian Cup. Simultaneously, he will serve concurrently as U-21 national team manager, preparing for both the 2030 World Cup and the 2028 LA Olympics.

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*This content was translated by AI.