Moriyasu praised Japan’s depth after their dominant win over Tunisia at the World Cup

Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu was delighted with his side’s performance after Saturday’s 4-0 win over Tunisia in Monterrey. Japan were dominant throughout, despite the absence of injured playmaker Takefusa Kubo.

The win took Japan one step closer to qualifying for the knockout rounds, while Tunisia were eliminated.

«It was our second match of the World Cup, a match full of excitement, and one that people were watching all over the world. I am very happy that we were able to achieve a victory in such a match,» 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 big stars such as Kaoru Mitoma (hamstring) and Takumi Minamino (knee) were previously ruled out of the entire tournament.

«As a team, it is of course very unfortunate and a painful blow to see players suffer injuries. However, we have built this team around the concept: whoever steps on the field can win, and whoever works together can function effectively,» Moriyasu said.

Due to the vacuum left by Kubo, Kamada was promoted to an advanced position. «Daichi (Kamada) has been mainly deployed as a defensive midfielder lately, but given our current team situation, we moved him to the shadow striker position today. The idea was to bring out his strengths and let him control the team’s attack and defense,» he said, adding: «Ko Itakura and Takehiro Tomiyasu, these two have also played a central role in our team-building process so far. We have always seen them as players who are capable of to compete at real World Cup level.”

Published on June 21, 2026