SAMURAI BLUE (Japan National Team) saw off the Ghana National Team—who have already secured their place at next year’s FIFA World Cup 26™—with a composed 2–0 victory in the KIRIN CHALLENGE CUP 2025 on Friday 14 November at Toyota Stadium in Aichi. MINAMINO Takumi (AS Monaco) broke the deadlock with his 26th international goal, moving into joint eighth on Japan’s all-time scoring list, before DOAN Ritsu (Eintracht Frankfurt) added a second to seal the win.

With next June’s World Cup in North and Central America in sight, Japan made two changes to the side that defeated Brazil last month, bringing in HAYAKAWA Tomoki (Kashima Antlers) in goal and TANAKA Ao (Leeds United) in central midfield.

Elsewhere, the team retained UEDA Ayase (Feyenoord) as the lone striker, with KUBO Takefusa (Real Sociedad) and Minamino operating in the attacking midfield roles. Doan and NAKAMURA Keito (Stade de Reims) featured as wing-backs, SANO Kaishu (Mainz 05) partnered Tanaka in midfield as he had against Paraguay last month, and the back three consisted of WATANABE Tsuyoshi (Feyenoord), TANIGUCHI Shogo (Sint-Truidense VV), and SUZUKI Junnosuke (FC Copenhagen).

Japan pressed aggressively from the outset, applying coordinated pressure and transitioning swiftly to dictate the tempo. They frequently regained possession in midfield and advanced areas, with Ueda and Minamino making incisive runs behind the defence and Kubo driving forward on the dribble to threaten the Ghanaian goal.

The breakthrough arrived in the 16th minute. After Sano’s interception, a neat exchange on the right involving Doan and Kubo saw Sano recover the ball and thread a pass into space for Minamino. One-on-one with the Ghana goalkeeper, Minamino remained composed and calmly slotted home to give Japan the lead.

Having also scored against Brazil, Minamino’s tally of 26 international goals now draws him level with KIMURA Kazushi, placing him joint eighth on Japan’s all-time scoring list.

Ghana, who qualified for the World Cup with an unbeaten record of five wins and one draw in the African qualifiers that concluded last month, set up in a defensive 5–4–1. They attempted to build attacks through quick passing and width but were largely stifled by Japan’s pressing and found shooting opportunities limited.

Nevertheless, they fashioned a chance in the 26th minute when Brandon Solomon THOMAS-ASANTE met a cross with his left foot. From the resulting corner, an inventive routine saw Derrick Arthur KOHN’s effort deflected goalwards by Jonas Adjei ADJETEY, though it failed to produce an equaliser.

Japan continued to dominate after the interval. Immediately following the restart, Ueda drove a shot from the right side of the penalty area after a rapid transition, and in the 59th minute Sano struck from mid-range after receiving a pass from Ueda.

The second goal came on the hour mark. After Suzuki intercepted the ball on the left, Nakamura and Ueda linked up before Kubo picked out Doan arriving on the right side of the penalty area. Doan struck crisply with his left foot to double the lead—his first goal since the June 2024 Asian Qualifiers match against Syria.

Japan introduced SUGAWARA Yukinari (Werder Bremen) and FUJITA Joel Chima (FC St. Pauli) in the 68th minute, followed by debuts for youngsters GOTO Keisuke (Sint-Truidense VV) and KITANO Sota (Red Bull Salzburg), along with ANDO Tomoya (Avispa Fukuoka) in the 75th minute, and SATO Ryunosuke (Fagiano Okayama) in the 82nd. The fresh legs allowed Japan to maintain pressure until the end.

Ghana attempted to mount a second-half fightback but suffered a setback when Francis ABU, who had been industrious in midfield, was forced off with an injury early in the half. They continued to tweak personnel and structure in search of a foothold, and their best chance came in the 64th minute when Kamaldeen SULEMANA fired with his right foot, only for Hayakawa to produce a solid save.

Japan nearly added a third in added time when Fujita latched onto a pass from Suzuki and struck from the left side of the area, but the Ghana goalkeeper denied him.

Japan limited Ghana to five shots while producing 13 of their own, earning their first win over African opposition since defeating Tunisia in October 2022.

SAMURAI BLUE will next face Bolivia—who are set to compete in the Intercontinental Play-Offs for the upcoming World Cup—on Tuesday 18 November at Japan National Stadium in Tokyo.

Coach and Players' Comments

MORIYASU Hajime, Head Coach of SAMURAI BLUE (Japan National Team)
The players prepared well and embraced both the tactical and individual challenges against a strong Ghana side, ultimately earning the victory. I’m genuinely pleased that their quality of preparation and willingness to take on challenges led to this result. In the second half, there was an unfortunate incident involving Francis Abu, yet our players remained fully focused. At the same time, we recognise how significant this injury is for both Francis and the Ghana national team, and we sincerely hope he makes a swift and full recovery so he can return to playing football as soon as possible.
After the Asian qualifiers, we conceded multiple goals against some of the world’s strongest teams during the September and October international windows. Ahead of today’s match, I mentioned this only briefly, mindful of the pressure it might place on the players, but the team worked hard to link solid defending with effective attacking transitions, constantly communicating on the pitch. Our opponents showed excellent individual quality and athleticism, threatening us with counter-attacks and runs in behind, but our defensive line and goalkeeper stood firm and dealt with the danger. Even when we lost possession, our forwards pressed immediately, allowing the rest of the team to transition and win the ball back collectively. I believe our team-wide defensive effort was key to keeping a clean sheet today.
At the same time, we sought to break down an opponent defending in a low block, and we managed to win by scoring multiple goals while conceding none, which will undoubtedly boost our confidence. We created chances against a team who were well prepared for us, while also stopping the counter-attacks they tried to generate. Tactically, the team functioned well, and individually the players won their duels. I believe we showed that we can secure results against opponents we are expected to beat. However, for a team aiming to compete at the World Cup, this should be the norm. Beating strong opponents is never easy, and we will continue to prepare thoroughly for what lies ahead.
Our supporters gave us tremendous backing again today, and we hope to continue repaying that support with performances that bring them joy.

GK #1 HAYAKAWA Tomoki (Kashima Antlers)
I’m relieved that we were able to win while keeping a clean sheet. I was told two days before the match that I would be starting, but I simply wanted to show on the pitch what I’ve built up to this point. I’ve been part of the national team for some time now, so I was able to play without being overly tense in terms of understanding how my team-mates operate. The opposition didn’t press us much, but I still felt more internal pressure than I expected, and to be honest, I feel I could have done more.

DF #3 TANIGUCHI Shogo (Sint-Truidense VV/Belgium)
It was very important that we kept a clean sheet. Their attackers had tremendous athleticism, but we managed to avoid losing the individual duels while maintaining our organisation for the full 90 minutes. I think this match has given us confidence both as a team and as individuals. Their physical presence in duels was strong, so I focused on taking the initiative through positioning and timing, making sure I wouldn’t lose those key battles. I feel my condition has improved as I’ve been playing regularly for my club, and I can sense that I’m now able to contribute more to the national team as well.

DF #25 SUZUKI Junnosuke (FC Copenhagen/Denmark)
They are a physical side who will be at the World Cup, so it was important for us to see the game out properly and get the win. Our defensive organisation becomes much stronger when each of us can win our individual battles, and I think we achieved that today. It was my first time facing an African side with their long reach and athleticism, but I feel I handled it well.

MF/FW #8 MINAMINO Takumi (AS Monaco/France)
For the goal, Sano played an excellent pass and Ueda drew the defender perfectly, so all I had to do was finish. We had agreed beforehand to press high, and against their back three we aimed to press man-for-man. From the first half we could tell they didn’t like our approach, and we managed to create many chances immediately after winning the ball. When the ball came to me in good positions, I still feel there were several moments where my final touch or decision-making could have been better, so I want to improve on that.

MF/FW #10 DOAN Ritsu (Eintracht Frankfurt/Germany)
I wanted to be aggressive with my shooting today, and I managed to keep my motion quick and compact, just as in training, so it went exactly as I imagined. It was also from an angle I like to shoot from. Even during the period when I wasn’t scoring, I knew the goals would come as long as I stuck to the process, and even if they didn’t, I believed I’d score at the World Cup, so I wasn’t too worried. Still, being able to finish from that angle exactly as trained felt very satisfying.

MF/FW #21 SANO Kaishu (Mainz 05/Germany)
With a player up front who can hold the ball, we had a clear target to play off. We also had plenty of space after winning possession because Ueda made excellent runs that pulled defenders away. It really allowed us to progress forward smoothly. For the pass to Minamino, I had no hesitation, and he showed great technique to score, so I’m glad to have played a part in that play.

MF/FW #26 GOTO Keisuke (Sint-Truidense VV/Belgium)
I wasn’t able to produce a result today, but I’m pleased to have made my debut and taken the first step. I think I managed to stay calm in my first involvement and the plays that followed. Before I came on, Coach Moriyasu told me, “Defence first” and “Work hard to keep the clean sheet,” so I went in with that mindset. If I’d been able to score on top of that, it would have been even better.

Otto ADDO, Head Coach of Ghana National Team
I would like to sincerely congratulate Japan. They are an excellent team and played very well. We knew how quickly they can transition, so we entered the match focusing on not losing the ball, yet we still lost possession and conceded from it. We improved in the second half but lacked precision. Even though possession was roughly equal, we had fewer shots, so Japan deserved the win. We are still a young team with several newcomers, and we must continue improving. I am very shocked and saddened by the injury we suffered, and we can only hope for the quickest possible recovery. At that moment, the Japanese player came to apologise not only to the injured player but also to our bench. Physical collisions are part of the game, but it is not common for opponents to go that far, so we are truly grateful for the gesture.

Fixture: SAMURAI BLUE vs Ghana National Team
Date: Fri. 14 November, 19:20
Venue: Toyota Stadium, Aichi
Match information

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