Japan awards national team coach Moriyasu for excellence "samurai" at the World Cup in Qatar

The Japan Football Association has awarded national team coach Hajime Moriyasu extending his contract until 2026 after the Blue Samurai’s impressive performance at the Qatar 2022 World Cup.

Two historic victories saw him defeat four-time world champions Germany and 2010 champions Spain (with one 2-1 scoreline) and lead Group E against European giants for the remainder of the campaign in the final hand price. Croatia on penalties, Moriyasu was honored to be the first Japan coach to retain his post after the World Cup.

At a press conference held in the capital Tokyo, the 54-year-old coach expressed his happiness to continue his career with the national team until the 2026 World Cup, saying: “This is a job that gives me the opportunity to compete on the international stage and I am proud that I Japanese. That’s why I decided to accept the proposal of the Japan Football Association.

Moriyasu, who defended the colors of the national team as a player between 1992 and 1996, received his appointment after the Russia 2018 World Cup, where he served as assistant head coach.

Moriyasu was in Qatar 2022 literally around the corner from leading Japan to the quarter-finals for the first time in his history, but luck failed the players in the penalty shootout, and they hit the barrier of Luka Modric and his team-mates in the Croatian national team after regular and extra time ended in a draw 1:1.

Source: AFP.

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