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Bosnia's Halilhodzic named Japan soccer coach

Xinhua, March 12, 2015 Adjust font size:

Vahid Halilhodzic was named the new soccer coach of Japan's national Thursday in place of Mexican Javier Aguirre, who was sacked last month for a early exit from Asian Cup.

The 62-year-old Bosnian led Algeria to the knockout stages of the World Cup for the first time last year and won the trust of the Japan Football Association's (JFA).

Aguirre stepped down after Japan's Asian Cup quarterfinal defeat in January.

Halilhodzic will earn an estimated salary of 2 million euros (2.27 million U.S. dollars) through to the 2018 Russia World Cup after guiding Algeria to the last 16 in Brazil.

Japan were knocked out of the group stage at the 2014 World Cup under Italian Alberto Zaccheroni and their Asian Cup journey was embarrassed in last-eight defeat to the United Arab Emirates on penalties in Sydney.

Halilhodzic is scheduled to arrive in Japan on Friday in time for this month's home friendlies against Tunisia on March 27 and Uzbekistan four days later. Endi