Japan head coach Hajime Moriyasu all smiles after the big win over Tunisia. | Photo Credit: AP

Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu was delighted with the ​performance of his side after its 4-0 ‌victory over Tunisia on Saturday in ​Monterrey. Japan was dominant ⁠throughout despite the absence of injured playmaker Takefusa Kubo.

The victory took Japan one step closer ‌to qualifying for the knockout rounds while eliminating Tunisia.

“It was ‌our second game of the World ‌Cup, ⁠a match of high tension, ⁠and one that people all over the world were watching. I am very happy that ​we were able ‌to secure a victory in such a game,” he said.

READ: Heavy defeat reflects Japan’s dominance, says Tunisia coach Renard

Japan is dealing with critical injury setbacks. Winger Takefusa Kubo is the latest to be sidelined with a knee injury, while major stars like Kaoru Mitoma (hamstring) and Takumi Minamino (knee) were ruled out of the entirety of the tournament earlier.

“As a team, seeing players pick up injuries is, of ‌course, highly regrettable and a ​painful blow. However, we have built this squad around the concept ⁠of whoever steps onto the pitch can win, and whoever partners up ‌can function effectively,” Moriyasu said.

The vacuum Kubo’s left behind saw Kamada getting promoted to an advanced position. “Daichi (Kamada) has mostly been deployed as a defensive midfielder recently, but considering our current team situation, we had him shift to the shadow striker position today. The idea was ‌to bring out his strengths and have ​him control the team’s offence and defence,” he said, adding: “Ko ⁠Itakura and Takehiro Tomiyasu, these two have ⁠also played central roles in our team-building process up until now. ‌We have always viewed them as players capable of competing at ​the true World Cup standard.”

Published on Jun 21, 2026