Ghana suffered a 2-0 defeat to Japan in the 2025 Kirin Challenge Cup at Toyota Stadium in Aichi on Friday, with the Black Stars’ loss overshadowed by a horrific injury to midfielder Abu Francis.
The hosts controlled proceedings from the outset, with Takumi Minamino opening the scoring in the 15th minute before Ritsu Doan sealed the win with a second-half strike in the 59th minute.
Japan broke the deadlock through Minamino, who finished calmly following a fluid attacking move, converting a pass from Sano Kaishu to give the Samurai Blue an early advantage.
However, the match took a distressing turn early in the second half when Abu Francis suffered what appeared to be a broken leg. The Toulouse midfielder collapsed in agony after attempting to block a shot, with his ankle twisting sharply as he stretched towards the ball. Japan’s Ao Tanaka’s boot had smashed into Abu’s leg with full force during the challenge, leaving players from both teams visibly shaken.
Medical staff spent several minutes treating the 24-year-old before he was stretchered off the pitch, with several teammates turning away in distress after witnessing the severity of the injury. Abu was replaced by Alidu Seidu, whilst an emotional Tanaka later approached the Ghana bench to apologise for his unintentional role in the incident.
Doan doubled the lead just before the hour mark with a curling strike from the right side of the box, capitalising on a precise pass from Kubo Takefusa to put the game beyond Ghana’s reach.
The Black Stars struggled to trouble Japan’s organised defence throughout the match, with their efforts severely disrupted by Abu’s devastating injury. The midfielder, who had only just earned a recall to the national team after battling persistent fitness issues, now faces a potentially lengthy spell on the sidelines.
Ghana head coach Otto Addo acknowledged Japan’s superior performance, noting their tempo, precision and dominance in creating clear goalscoring opportunities. However, the injury to Abu cast a dark shadow over proceedings.
Toulouse quickly released a statement offering their support, saying: “The images are terrible, and we send you all our strength and all our thoughts, Francis! The whole club will be by your side to overcome this ordeal!”
The match formed part of Ghana’s preparations following their qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, whilst Japan aimed to build momentum after their impressive 3-2 victory over Brazil in their previous outing.
Japan have historically dominated the head-to-head record against Ghana, with their most significant triumph coming in the 2022 Kirin Cup semi-final when they secured a comprehensive 4-1 victory.
The defeat and Abu’s serious injury will concern Addo as Ghana prepare to face South Korea on Tuesday, 18 November.
