Coach Hajime Moriyasu wants to leave Japan competing on equal terms with world’s best

SINGAPORE – For a rare moment, Japan national football coach Hajime Moriyasu was stumped when The Straits Times asked what were the best and worst moments of his eight-year tenure as it comes to an end.

The Japanese paused for a few seconds before stressing his unyielding quest for excellence at a press conference on Nov 13, ahead of the Mizuho Blue Challenge international friendly against Brazil at the National Stadium on Nov 14.

In front of a packed media conference room with 80 local and Japan-based journalists, he said he could not recall his best moment, but “very clearly” remembered the worst – a 1-0 home loss to Oman in a World Cup qualifier in September 2021.

The 58-year-old said: “Looking back, I failed to prepare the team properly. I could not communicate the tactical approach and the players’ roles effectively enough, and as a result, the players were unable to demonstrate their full potential.”

Although he did not deliver any major titles for the Samurai Blue, who still have not won any knockout matches at the World Cup, Moriyasu is by far the longest-serving Japan head coach.

He is also widely regarded as one of their most successful as he racked up 78 wins and 15 draws in 112 matches for the highest win rate by any Japan coach who took charge for more than 10 games.

Under the former Japan midfielder, they have an outstanding record against World Cup winners, having defeated Brazil, Spain, Germany, Uruguay and England. Among the quintet, only Brazil managed to beat Japan, with their last encounter resulting in a late 2-1 comeback win in the last 32 of the 2026 World Cup.

He has also left an indelible mark on the players he managed.

Winger Ritsu Doan, who scored as they beat Germany and Spain at the 2022 World Cup, said after their open training session at Bishan Stadium on Nov 10: “Coach Moriyasu has always maintained two principles – winning the match in front of us, and making a contribution to the development of Japanese football every time we come together as a national team.

“I understand how important he is to Japanese football, and how much Japanese football still needs someone like coach Moriyasu. Beyond simply being a coach and a player, there is perhaps some kind of connection between us that will remain.

“I can recall all the conversations I’ve had with him. I can say without hesitation that the person I am today is largely thanks to him. I hope I can continue to show how much I’ve grown, not just in these matches, but in the years ahead as well.”

Moriyasu was originally due to be replaced by Japan Under-23 coach Go Oiwa after the Asian Cup, which was initially scheduled for Jan 7-Feb 5, 2027.

But an 11-month postponement of the tournament, following missile attacks on hosts Saudi Arabia, meant that the upcoming friendlies against Brazil and Paraguay (Nov 17) in Singapore will be his last dance.

While he did not address rumours linking him to Malaysia, he talked about the legacy he hopes to leave behind.

He said: “The national team has always brought together the best players in Japan but I did not want the team to depend on only a handful of outstanding individuals.

“I wanted to build a squad with greater depth, where the quality of the team would remain high regardless of which players were selected to play. Rather than having only a few elite players, we now have a deeper squad with many players capable of performing at a high level.”

His 28-man squad proves his point as 24 players are based in Europe, and 17th-ranked Japan find themselves competing on an equal footing against the likes of world No. 6 Brazil and 33rd-ranked Paraguay.

Comparatively, the 23-man World Cup 2018 squad before he took over featured eight local-based players.

Emphasising the need to bolster “Asian pride”, he said: “At the World Cup, Brazil showed us that there is still a gap between our two teams, and we need to close that gap.

“However, we should not simply look up to Brazil as if they are on another level. We should compete against them on equal terms, with the belief that we can win.

“Ideally, we would win tomorrow, gain confidence from that victory, and develop an even stronger desire to improve.

“But if we do not achieve the result we want, being able to demonstrate our current abilities against one of the world’s best teams will provide us with valuable experience.”

David Lee is senior sports correspondent at The Straits Times, focusing on aquatics, badminton, basketball, cue sports, football and table tennis.