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Hajime Moriyasu, head coach of Japan's national football team, attends a press conference of the Japan Football Association in Tokyo, Japan, December 28, 2022. /CFP
Hajime Moriyasu will continue his coaching job after leading Japan to the last 16 at the Qatar World Cup, the Japan Football Association said on Wednesday.
The 54-year-old has become the first coach to stay on after a World Cup. His new contract will run "until the next World Cup", said Japan Football Association head Kozo Tajima, who lauded Moriyasu for "elevating the international status of Japan's football".
"This is really the happiest job," Moriyasu said of his reappointment.
"It's a job that gives me a chance to compete on a global stage with the pride of being Japanese. That's why I decided to accept the offer," he said.
It was the fourth time Japan had exited at the first knockout stage and denied them a much-coveted quarterfinal debut in their seventh straight World Cup appearance.
Hajime Moriyasu gestures during the round of 16 match between Japan and Croatia at Qatar World Cup at Al-Janoub Stadium in Al Wakrah, Qatar, December 5, 2022. /CFP
There had been speculation about his future after a rollercoaster performance by Japan, who again failed to reach the quarterfinals but produced stunning wins against Germany and Spain.
"We weren't able to overcome this hurdle of losing in the last 16 and you might say that we didn't achieve anything new," Moriyasu said.
"But the players have shown us something that we haven't seen before by beating former champions like Germany and Spain."
Hajime Moriyasu's coaching career
He was the coach of the Hiroshima-based club Sanfrecce Hiroshima between 2012 and 2017.
From 2017 to 2021, Moriyasu coached Japan U-23 team.
Since 2018, he is the current head coach of Japan's national senior and Olympic teams.
(With input from AFP)
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Disinformation report hotline: 010-85061466