20 Facts About Hajime Moriyasu

Hajime Moriyasu is a Japanese football manager and former player he is the currently head coach of Japan national football team.

Hajime Moriyasu made more than 250 appearances in 14 years with Sanfrecce Hiroshima, including a year on loan to Kyoto Purple Sanga, before spending his final season as a professional with Vegalta Sendai.

Hajime Moriyasu was capped 35 times for the Japan national team.

Hajime Moriyasu was the linchpin of Kyoto for the 1998 season.

Hajime Moriyasu came back to Hiroshima for the 1999 season but find his opportunities to play gradually decreasing mainly because of young Kazuyuki Morisaki's challenge for the place.

Hajime Moriyasu was offered a coaching position at Hiroshima in 2002 but turned it down to continue to play.

Hajime Moriyasu moved to Vegalta Sendai and retired there at the end of the 2003 season.

Hajime Moriyasu was still a low-profile player at that time and many international teammates did not know how to pronounce his name.

Hajime Moriyasu was a member of the Japan team that won the 1992 Asian Cup and played all of Japan's games except the final against Saudi Arabia for which he was ineligible due to suspension.

Hajime Moriyasu was on the pitch when Japan's hopes to play in the finals were dashed by an injury-time Iraqi equaliser in the last qualifier, the match that the Japanese fans now refer to as the Agony of Doha.

Hajime Moriyasu was capped 35 times between 1992 and 1996.

Hajime Moriyasu scored one goal for his country, in a friendly against Australia on 10 February 1996.

Hajime Moriyasu served as a coach for Sanfrecce Hiroshima from the 2004 season.

Hajime Moriyasu coached the Japan national youth team which participated in the 2006 AFC Youth Championship and the 2007 U-20 World Cup.

Hajime Moriyasu was a coach for the Hiroshima first team from 2007 to 2009 before a spell coaching at Albirex Niigata.

Hajime Moriyasu won the J1 league title for both the 2012 season and the 2013 season.

Hajime Moriyasu left the club in July 2017 after poor results in the league campaign.

Hajime Moriyasu was the coach of the under-23 national team preparing for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Hajime Moriyasu will stay on even as his duties were broadened by his new appointment.

Hajime Moriyasu assisted coach Akira Nishino in the last 16 in the recent World Cup finals in Russia.