Black Stars lose to Japan

Football | Ghana

 

Keisuke Honda scored the winner as Japan beat a second-string Ghana side 3-1 in a friendly in Yokohama. It is Ghana's first loss in a friendly - after playing five - since Kwesi Appiah took charge of the side in April 2012.

The CSKA Moscow man similarly got the winner when, in 2009, Ghana were beaten 4-3 in Holland. The Blue Samurai used this game to further preparations for the 2014 Fifa World Cup, for which they have already qualified.

Japan started the better of two sides, dominating these first 10 minutes. Honda shot at goal but 'keeper Brimah on his second cap, parried as there were also two off-target shots from Yasuyuki Konno and Makoto Hasebe.

Ghana played Harrison Afful (a fullback) in central midfield and the Asians over-running the middle, although they had problems with the final ball.
But wing-play and slicing the midfield was no problem at all for Alberto Zaccheroni's team.
Goal against run of play
Ghana shocked the packed stadium on 24 minutes with a fortuitous goal. A run from Abdul Majeed Waris ping-ponged near vital area, got to Acheampong who shot and saw the ball deflects off Uchida and past Kawashima in goal.

Nonetheless, Japan continued dominating. Keisuke Honda had a great chance minutes later but a cringe-worthy miss was his lot after a sweet ball from the left. The CSKA man missed from four yards with a yawning goal ahead.
In the 35th minute, a ball from midfield reached Nagatomo who slalomed through four Ghana players, got into the box and shot. But Brimah popped left leg out to send the ball of for a corner.
Ghana tried to get rhythm of their own, and the flow on one move saw Atsuto Uchida bring down Christian Atsu. Uchida got a yellow for his problems.

Ghana nearly struck luck again as Hasebe escaped from an own goal attempt. A pull out from Abdul Majeed Waris had hit the FC Nürnberg man.
Japan's shape had been evolving game-long as they defended with up to nine players when without the ball and moved in a crowd when with it.
Meanwhile, Atsu was being a thorn, as he had been the object of six fouls by halftime, which finished with Ghana ahead.
Second half
The game formed part of the Kirin Cup series of international friendlies for the Samurai Blue after they had already beaten Guatemala 3-0 a few days ago.
But Japan, even without the injured Okazaki, were strong. Their mazy runs were pleasing and one of them saw Kagawa waltz past two defenders, pull back as Solomon Asante came into him, crossed, and Honda half-scissored the ball.

It was saved by Razak comfortably.
But it brought verve to the game again, and soon the Asians scored.
With mounting pressure on Ghana, Japan got the ball in midfield and as it reached Keisuke Honda, he backheeled it into the path of Yasuhito Endo
who took a touch before shooting. Ghana goalkeeper Razak Brimah will take all the blame for a howler, as the ball slipped through his fingers.
Endo, Kagawa and Honda were running the show, with their triangular, one-two motions while moving forward with others towing along.
The third goal from Japan came from a free-kick this time. It was curled from Endo and headed in by Keisuke Honda.
The tempo of the game continued that way, with Yoichiro Kakitani also being excellent on the day from the flanks.
Teams
Japan XI: E Kawashima, Y Konno, A Uchida (Sakai), M Yoshida, Y Nagatomo (Makino), Y Endo, M Hasebe (Yamaguchi), K Honda, Y Kakitani, H Kiyotake (Morishige), S Kagawa
Ghana XI: R Braimah, S Inkoom (Dan Opare), R Boateng, R Sumaila (Jonathan Mensah), J Boye, H Afful (Rabiu Mohammed), A Adomah (S Asante), Y Chibsah, M Waris (Mahatma Otoo), C Atsu, F Acheampong