The Japan Football Association (JFA) is considering asking Hajime Moriyasu to remain as head coach of the national team despite Japan's exit from the ongoing World Cup in the round of 32, JFA President Tsuneyasu Miyamoto said on Wednesday.
Speaking to reporters, Miyamoto said no formal decision had been made, but indicated the association was preparing to move in that direction.
"We would have to make preparations to that end," he said.
Moriyasu, 57, has been in charge of the Samurai Blue since 2018 and guided Japan at both the 2022 and 2026 FIFA World Cups.
At this year's tournament, Japan finished second in Group F with one win and two draws before losing 2-1 to Brazil in the round of 32 on Monday in Houston, missing out on what would have been the country's first-ever victory in the World Cup knockout stage.
According to a JFA official, many participants at an association meeting on Wednesday spoke positively about Japan's overall performance at the tournament.
The Japanese squad is scheduled to return home on Thursday, while Moriyasu is expected to hold a news conference to review the team's World Cup campaign.