Japan defeated Ghana 2-0 in a friendly, with goals from Minamino and Doan, as both teams prepare for the upcoming World Cup. Ghana also saw midfielder Abu Francis leave the field injured.
Japan secured a 2-0 victory against fellow World Cup qualifiers Ghana in a home friendly in Toyota, with goals from Takumi Minamino and Ritsu Doan, continuing their winning streak following a previous victory over Brazil, although the match was marred by a serious ankle injury to Ghana’s midfielder Abu Francis.
Japan Beat Ghana in Friendly to Build World Cup Momentum
According to a report from Punchng.com, Japan defeated fellow World Cup qualifiers Ghana 2-0 in a home friendly on Friday to build momentum in their preparations for next year’s tournament.
The match, played in Toyota, saw goals from Takumi Minamino and Ritsu Doan, marking another victory for Japan after they beat Brazil for the first time in a friendly last month.
The Japanese national team, missing Brighton winger Kaoru Mitoma due to injury, opened the scoring in the 16th minute. Kaishu Sano found Takumi Minamino unmarked in the box, and the Monaco attacker took a touch before sliding the ball into the net.
Ritsu Doan doubled Japan’s lead just before the hour mark when he received the ball wide in the box, cut inside, and drilled home a left-foot finish.
For Ghana, this was their first match since booking their place at the World Cup with a 1-0 victory over Comoros last month.
The team faced a significant setback when midfielder Abu Francis left the game on a stretcher early in the second half with what appeared to be a serious ankle injury. Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo also exited the game early in the second half.
Japan is scheduled to continue its World Cup preparations with a friendly against Bolivia in Tokyo on Tuesday, while the Black Stars will play South Korea in Seoul.