Japan coach steps down

Philippe Troussier formally stepped down as Japan coach yesterday and declared his mission accomplished after taking the co-hosts to the last 16 of the World Cup.

The Frenchman said Japan deserved credit for reaching the second round, despite bowing out of the tournament after a hugely disappointing 1-0 defeat to Turkey on Tuesday.

But he warned that the next four years could be even more difficult for Japan, who recreated history for themselves by finishing top of Group H with seven points after losing all three matches in their World Cup debut in 1998.

"Japanese football has taken a giant step forward and by reaching the knock-out stage this side has created a legacy for the future," said Troussier, 47.

"But the road ahead will get even tougher and Japan have a lot of work to do if they want to repeat this achievement in four years time."

Troussier, who wants to take six months off before evaluating his future, insisted that Japan were capable of building on their results at the World Cup at the 2006 finals in Germany.

"Maybe you could say Japan hit the wall against Turkey. We felt we had reached our limit. But Japan can close the gap with the top European teams with a little more experience of big international matches," he said.