The Black Stars of Ghana suffered a humiliating defeat to Japan in their opening match by 4-1 in the Kirin Cup tournament on Friday.
It was the first defeat in four matches for the Black Stars since the appointment of former Ghanaian international Otto Addo as head coach.
Japan took the lead in the first half against Ghana, but striker Jordan Ayew restored parity for Ghana with a classic finish to restore hope. However, Japan restored their lead before half time to ensure they are in a comfortable position.
The second half proved more difficult for Ghana as they found no answers to the attacking prowess to Japan, conceding two additional goals without scoring any, making the scoreline 4-1 in favour of the hosts.
The rational behind Ghana’s participation in the Kirin (Four Nations Tournament) is to prepare the team adequately for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, where the Black Stars have been drawn into Group H along with Asian opponents South Korea, Uruguay and Portugal.
The Kirin tournament continues with Ghana facing Chile and Tunisia in the next two matches.
