Japan Football Association vice president Kuniya Daini said Saturday the country's new manager will not be decided until Aug. 22 at the earliest, raising the possibility that an acting coach will oversee the team's Sept. 4 friendly against Paraguay in Yokohama.
Daini said he spoke on Friday night with technical director Hiromi Hara, who is handling the negotiations with the candidates — all foreigners.
According to Daini, Hara, the former FC Tokyo coach who has no front office experience, said he needs more time to strike a deal with the successor to Takeshi Okada.
Among those who have been linked with the job is former Porto coach Victor Fernandez and ex-Netherlands manager Marco Van Basten. Fernandez is said to be at the top of Hara's list.