JAPAN: FOOTBALL/SOCCER - Takeshi Okada takes over from Ivica Osim as Japanese national coach

Record ID: 461901

  • Title: JAPAN: FOOTBALL/SOCCER - Takeshi Okada takes over from Ivica Osim as Japanese national coach
  • Date: 8th December 2007
  • Summary: FILE: HANOI, VIETNAM (JULY 24, 2007) (REUTERS) FORMER JAPAN COACH IVICA OSIM AT TEAM TRAINING TRAINING OSIM TALKING TO HIS STAFF
  • Embargoed: 23rd December 2007 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Japan
  • Country: Japan
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVAF0JY0W2FZ4YOW59MASLKN1740
  • Story Text: Japan named Takeshi Okada as national soccer team boss on Friday (December 7) -- 10 years after he began his first spell as head coach.
    The 51-year-old, who led Japan to their first World Cup finals in 1998, took charge after Bosnian Ivica Osim suffered a stroke and fell into a coma in November.
    "Life is so unpredictable. I would not have been able to imagine this happening even just a week ago," Okada told a news conference, saying he had at first been hesistant to accept the offer.
    "So when I first was approached to be coach, and the more and more I thought about it, I was ready not to accept this position. But gradually I began to feel that it was my duty to take up this position, that I had to try this. So I tried not to think too hard about it and accepted the offer," he added.
    Okada said he may have been hesistant at first, but he takes his responsibilities seriously once he's accepted them.
    "But once I had promised to take up this position, I believe its my duty to do everything in my powers to ensure Japan gets to the World Cup," he said.
    Japan begin their qualifying campaign for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa in February.
    Okada first took charge of Japan in 1997, salvaging the side's qualifying campaign for the finals in France the following year after previous coach Shu Kamo was fired.
    However, Japan's World Cup debut ended in three consecutive defeats and Okada was replaced by Frenchman Philippe Troussier.
    Okada went on to manage J-League clubs Consadole Sapporo and Yokohama F-Marinos.
    Osim, who had been Japan coach since the team's 2006 World Cup flop under Brazilian Zico, has awoken from his coma but the 66-year-old remains in hospital.
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