The key facts

  • The AFC moved the 2027 Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia from January to December due to 'exceptional circumstances' in the region after Houthi attacks
  • Moriyasu had planned to step down after the tournament, to be replaced by youth team coach Go Oiwa; the handover timing is now unclear
  • Moriyasu named a squad for friendlies against Brazil and Paraguay in Singapore

Tournament pushed back by almost a year

The Asian Football Confederation announced the rescheduling of the 2027 Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia from January to December — a shift of almost a year — citing 'exceptional circumstances' in the region linked to Houthi attacks on the host country. AFP reported this, citing the AFC decision.

The fate of the coaching handover is up in the air

The rescheduling directly affects the national team's staffing question: Hajime Moriyasu, the longest-serving coach in Japan's history, was supposed to lead the team at the Asian Cup early next year and hand over the post to youth team coach Go Oiwa after the tournament. Now, according to AFP, he may leave the team as early as the end of this year. Japan Football Association technical director Masakuni Yamamoto declined to clarify the situation when announcing the squad, saying the timing of the coaching change would be decided within the JFA. He also could not immediately confirm whether the friendly match scheduled for December 30 in Osaka as part of Asian Cup preparations, against an as-yet unnamed opponent, would take place.

Moriyasu's reaction and the squad for the November matches

The coach himself said he 'simply accepts reality' and is doing his utmost in his current work, adding that the development of Japanese football matters more than his personal situation. According to him, if the tournament had gone ahead as planned, he would have fought for the title over seven matches, but if those games are moved, the new coaching staff will be able to use them with an eye on the next World Cup. Despite the rescheduling, he did not change his squad for the November friendlies against Brazil and Paraguay in Singapore: Aston Villa goalkeeper Zion Suzuki was called up, Crystal Palace midfielder Daichi Kamada was included, and Tatsuhiro Sakamoto of Coventry City received his first call-up in more than five years. Monaco forward Takumi Minamino returned after missing the World Cup through injury. Brazil knocked Japan out of the last World Cup in the round of 32, winning 2:1 with a stoppage-time goal, but in October last year the Japanese beat Brazil for the first time in a friendly in Tokyo. 'For Japan to become a team capable of winning the World Cup, we need a higher win rate against South American teams,' Moriyasu said.