Former Ghana international Augustine Ahinful has urged the Black Stars technical staff to approach prestigious friendly matches with greater seriousness as preparations continue for the 2026 World Cup. His remarks came after Ghana fell 2-0 to Japan at the Toyota Stadium in the 2025 Kirin Cup, with the home side scoring once in each half. Speaking on TV3, Ahinful emphasized that such encounters serve as essential opportunities for refinement ahead of major tournaments and require enhanced tactical planning and commitment.
Ahinful suggested the final score accurately represented Japan's dominance throughout the contest and warned that Ghana was lucky to escape with only a two-goal margin. He stressed that the team had received sufficient notice about the fixtures against Japan and South Korea, making thorough preparation essential rather than optional.
Ghana will next travel to Seoul to meet South Korea, with the match scheduled for 10:00 a.m. local time.
Ahinful suggested the final score accurately represented Japan's dominance throughout the contest and warned that Ghana was lucky to escape with only a two-goal margin. He stressed that the team had received sufficient notice about the fixtures against Japan and South Korea, making thorough preparation essential rather than optional.
Ghana will next travel to Seoul to meet South Korea, with the match scheduled for 10:00 a.m. local time.
