Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu to leave by year-end as Asian Cup postponed

TOKYO – Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu will leave his role by the end of 2026 as the Asian Cup scheduled for early 2027 in Saudi Arabia was postponed, a senior Japan Football Association (JFA) official confirmed on Nov 5.Go Oiwa, currently in charge of Japan’s Under-21 team seeking to qualify for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, will also coach the senior national team as scheduled, starting with international friendlies in late March, JFA general-secretary Kazuyuki Yukawa said.The 58-year-old Moriyasu saw his Samurai Blue side lose to Brazil in the round of 32 at this summer’s World Cup in North America before signing a short-term contract through the Asian Cup.However, the Asian Football Confederation announced earlier this week that the Asian Cup had been postponed until December 2027 amid ongoing unrest in the host country, which has come under attack by Yemen’s Houthi group. KYODO NEWS