Former Japan national team midfielder Hajime Moriyasu will be appointed as the new coach of the soccer squad, it was learned Monday.
Moriyasu, 49, will wear two hats as the national team boss and the coach for the under-23 national team that is set to play in the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
According to officials of the Japan Football Association (JFA), Moriyasu has shown his intention to accept the offer after negotiations with JFA technical committee chief Takashi Sekizuka and others. The JFA's executive committee is expected to approve Moriyasu's appointment as the successor to current Japan coach Akira Nishino, who will retire at the end of this month.
Moriyasu will, therefore, become the first Japan coach to lead both the national team and the Olympic squad since Philippe Troussier, who was in charge of both squads at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games and the 2002 World Cup, held in Japan and South Korea.
Moriyasu, who was acclaimed as a defensive midfielder, served as the coach of the J.League team Sanfrecce Hiroshima, leading his club to the league championship three times.
In autumn last year, he was appointed the coach for the under-23 Japan squad, which has set a goal of reaching the 2020 Games.
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