Japan Host Ghana in World Cup Warm-Up Clash

Japan will continue their preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a friendly match against Ghana at the Toyota Stadium on Friday. Both teams have already qualified for the tournament and will use this fixture to fine-tune their squads and maintain form.

The Blue Samurais have been in impressive form, losing only once during their qualification campaign. Their last outing ended in a thrilling 3-2 win over Brazil. Under coach Hajime Moriyasu, Japan have proven to be one of the most balanced sides, scoring 30 goals and conceding just three to top their group.

Ghana, one of Africa’s early qualifiers, also enjoyed a strong campaign with 25 points from 10 games, winning eight and losing only once. Despite this being a friendly, the Black Stars are eager to sustain their momentum. They have lost just twice in their last ten matches, both against Nigeria, including a 2-1 defeat in May’s “Jollof Derby.”

In their head-to-head history, Japan have the upper hand with three wins in five meetings. Their most recent encounter ended in a 4-1 victory for Japan in the 2018 Kirin Cup semi-final.

For this fixture, Japan will miss Kaoru Mitoma due to injury but welcome back Wataru Endo and Daichi Kamada. Ghana will be without key players Thomas Partey, Mohammed Kudus, and Jordan Ayew, giving youngsters like Kelvin Nkrumah and Prince Kwabena Adu a chance to shine.

With both sides boasting attacking firepower, goals are expected. Japan, playing at home and in strong form, remain slight favourites.