Takumi Minamino and Ritsu Doan scored either side of half-time as Japan secured a confident 2-0 victory over fellow World Cup qualifiers Ghana in front of a passionate home crowd in Toyota, with just over half a year remaining before the highly anticipated tournament kicks off next year in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
This marked Japan’s first international outing since their exhilarating 3-2 friendly triumph over Brazil in Tokyo last month, a historic result that represented the first time they had defeated the five-time world champions in 14 attempts, boosting morale and setting a high benchmark for the Samurai Blue.
Eintracht Frankfurt forward Doan revealed that the momentum from that landmark win lingered strongly in the team’s mindset during the encounter with Ghana.
“There was a different kind of pressure tonight coming after the Brazil game,” said the 27-year-old.
“We wanted to try to avoid the ups and downs that come in football and I’m glad that we were able to deliver the win.”
For Ghana, this was their inaugural match since clinching their spot at the World Cup with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Comoros last month, a result that underscored their resilience in African qualifying.
However, the Black Stars suffered a setback when their midfielder Abu Francis was stretchered off early in the second half following what appeared to be a serious ankle injury , casting a shadow over their preparations and potentially impacting their depth heading into the global showpiece.
Despite boasting attacking talents like Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo and Coventry’s Brandon Thomas-Asante—who has been in prolific form with 10 goals in the English Championship this season—Ghana adopted a cautious approach, defending deep and prioritizing organization over which frustrated Japan’s attempts to dominate possession.
“Today was good practice for the World Cup in how to break down a high-quality, well-organised team that hunkers down in defence,” said Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu.
“We were able to prise them open.”
‘Determined not to concede’
Japan were still without the services of injured Brighton winger Kaoru Mitoma, whose creativity and pace were sorely missed on the flanks, while Liverpool’s Wataru Endo, returning to the squad after sitting out the Brazil friendly, had to settle for a substitute role as he eases back into full fitness.
In goal, Tomoki Hayakawa stepped in admirably for Zion Suzuki, who is sidelined with a fractured wrist and finger sustained while playing for Italian club Parma, providing a solid foundation between the posts.
The breakthrough arrived in the 16th minute when midfielder Kaishu Sano delivered a precise pass to find Minamino unmarked inside the penalty area; the Monaco attacker controlled the ball with a deft touch before calmly sliding it past the Ghanaian goalkeeper and into the net, igniting the home supporters.
Doan then sealed the result just before the hour mark, receiving the ball wide on the right side of the box, cutting inside onto his stronger left foot with composure, and unleashing a powerful drilled finish that left the keeper with no chance, doubling Japan’s advantage and effectively putting the game beyond doubt.
Moriyasu expressed particular satisfaction with maintaining a clean sheet, especially following a 2-2 draw in a friendly against Paraguay last month and the two goals conceded in the thrilling win over Brazil, highlighting the defensive discipline that complemented their attacking intent.
“I didn’t want to say too much to the players and make them think too much about it,” he said.
“They were determined not to concede and then they would try to force them open and score.”
Japan will build on this positive momentum as they continue their World Cup preparations with another friendly against Bolivia in Tokyo on Tuesday, offering further opportunities to fine-tune tactics and integrate key players.
Meanwhile, Ghana will look to regroup and address their injury concerns when they face South Korea in Seoul, aiming to refine their strategy ahead of the challenges that await in the expanded 48-team tournament next summer.