Sports
Black Stars Beaten 2-0 by Japan in Kirin Challenge Cup Warm Up
Ghana’s Black Stars suffered a 2-0 defeat to Japan in the 2025 Kirin Challenge Cup at the Toyota Stadium in Aichi. The international friendly, part of Ghana’s build up to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, saw coach Otto Addo adjust his starting lineup, handing Joseph Anang his first senior appearance in goal and giving Antoine Semenyo the captaincy for the first time.
Anang made an early save in the 5th minute to keep out a soft effort from the hosts, but Japan broke through in the 16th minute after Semenyo lost the ball in midfield. The turnover opened space for the Japanese attack, and Takumi Minamino, the home side’s captain and former Liverpool midfielder, finished calmly after receiving a well placed pass.
Ghana pushed back with efforts of their own. Brandon Thomas-Asante’s volley was deflected for a corner, and Derrick Kohn sent a low drive just wide. Kohn later produced a strong block to stop what looked like a certain second goal for Japan.
Around the hour mark, however, Ritsu Doan got his chance and tucked in a sharp finish at the near post to extend Japan’s lead.
The game took a worrying turn early in the second half when midfielder Abu Francis sustained a serious injury while attempting a tackle.
Japan created more openings but were wasteful in front of goal. With the loss behind them, the Black Stars now turn their attention to their next friendly against South Korea on November 18.
Sports
“We want to win the World Cup – GFA Boss Kurt E.S Okraku
In an interview on The Delay Show, Ghana Football Association President Kurt Okraku expressed strong confidence in the Black Stars ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
President Kurt believes that Ghana has a good team and are aiming to win the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
“You can never rule out any football nation, Ghana inclusive,” Okraku said. “I have seen bad teams win big tournaments and good teams lose. We have a good team, and I want to win the World Cup. That is why we are doing everything possible.”
The remarks come after Ghana qualified for the expanded tournament and named its 26-man squad under coach Carlos Queiroz, despite recent friendly losses and criticism over selections such as Baba Rahman.
Ghana faces Panama,England, and Croatia, in Group L.
The Tournament is scheduled to kick off on June,11 to July, 19 2026 in USA, Mexico and Canada.
Sports
2026 FIFA World Cup: Ghana group opponent Panama beats Dominican Republic in last friendly ahead of the tournament
Ghana’s Group stage opponents at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Panama, wrapped up their home preparations with an entertaining 4-2 victory over the Dominican Republic on Tuesday night before departing for the United States.
The farewell match, played in front of a packed home crowd, gave Thomas Christiansen’s side a confidence boost ahead of their final pre-World Cup friendly against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Panama opened the scoring inside the first 15 minutes following a well-worked move involving Cesar Yanis, Jose Fajardo and Cristian Martinez.
After Fajardo’s initial effort was blocked, the ball fell kindly to Tomas Rodriguez, who calmly slotted home to put the hosts ahead.
The Central Americans doubled their advantage before halftime when Victor Griffith’s long-range strike took a significant deflection, leaving the Dominican goalkeeper with no chance.
Christiansen made several changes after the break, but Panama maintained their attacking threat.
Mariano Diaz pulled one back for the visitors shortly after the restart with a composed finish following a diagonal run into the penalty area.
Cecilio Waterman then capitalised on a defensive mix-up between the goalkeeper and a defender to score Panama’s third goal of the evening.
The Dominican Republic responded again with a goal from Erick Japa after a defensive lapse, but Panama had the final say as Kadir Barria capped an impressive performance by converting from close range following a pass from Erick Davis.
The victory extends Panama’s positive momentum as they continue preparations for the World Cup, where they will come up against Ghana.
The Black Stars will be closely monitoring the Panamanians, who have shown attacking quality and depth in recent outings.
Panama will now travel to the United States for a final tune-up match against Bosnia and Herzegovina before beginning their World Cup campaign
Sports
2026 FIFA World Cup: Ghana arrived in America ahead of the tournament
The Black Stars have officially arrived in the United States ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, receiving a rousing welcome from members of the Ghanaian community and traditional leaders in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area on Thursday.
The team arrived with some contingent, consisting of 26 playing body and one extra standby goalkeeper making the squad 27, with some management committee members and The technical team lead by head coach Carlos Queiroz .
Several key members of the squad, including Thomas Partey, Iñaki Williams, Baba Rahman, Jordan Ayew, Ernest Nuamah, Antoine Semenyo, Abdul Fatawu Issahaku, Lawrence Ati-Zigi and Benjamin Asare, were greeted by enthusiastic supporters shortly after touching down.
The colourful event featured traditional drumming, dancing and cultural displays, as chiefs and elders from the Ghanaian community came together to welcome the team and offer their blessings ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup
The event highlighted the deep connection between the Black Stars and Ghanaians living abroad, many of whom are expected to travel across the United States to support the team during the competition.
Head coach Carlos Queiroz and his players will now continue their final preparations in the United States, where they are scheduled to face Jamaica in a friendly match before opening their World Cup campaign.
Ghana have been drawn in Group L alongside England, Croatia and Panama, with hopes high that the Black Stars can make a deep run at the tournament and improve on their recent World Cup performances.
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