Japan head coach Hajime Moriyasu looks on ahead of their FIFA World Cup match in Dallas. | Photo Credit: AP

Hajime Moriyasu has been in charge of Japan since the 2018 World Cup, and despite not winning any major honours, he has helped Japan maintain its status as one of, if not the best, teams in Asia.

His dual role as the Under-23 men’s team coach from 2017 to 2021 has helped identify a young but experienced crop of players who are not just travelling to participate but instead go toe-to-toe with the heavyweights.

Hajime Moriyasu’s record as manager:

• Total matches: 387
• Wins: 209
• Draws: 73
• Losses: 105
• Win percentage: 54.01

Hajime Moriyasu’s record as Japan manager:

• Total matches: 104
• Wins: 73
• Draws: 14
• Losses: 17
• Win percentage: 70.19

What did Hajime Moriyasu say before Netherlands vs Japan?

“We have to survive this stage no matter what, but at the same time I ‌see that it is a very tough group,” said Moriyasu, who took Japan into the last 16 at the finals in Qatar. “The top ‌of the top talent is found in the Netherlands team.

“In terms ‌of ⁠the actual matches, any team from this group could win. Tunisia ⁠had clean sheets coming through the qualifiers, and Sweden has top-level players as well, top-level strikers.

“So we don’t know who is going to survive from this group. It’s really hard ​to predict.

Published on Jun 14, 2026