Augustine Ahinful calls Ghana’s 2-0 loss to Japan a fair result

Former Black Stars forward Augustine Ahinful has described Ghana’s 2-0 defeat to Japan in Friday’s Kirin Challenge Cup friendly as a “fair outcome,” noting that the result could have been more lopsided given Japan’s dominance.

Ahinful pointed out that the Blue Samurai controlled key aspects of the game, limiting Ghana to just two shots on target while Japan produced five from 14 attempts. Much of Ghana’s play remained in their own half, with the team struggling to advance the ball into the final third.

“The result is never in doubt. A 2-0 scoreline is fair and, honestly, it could have been worse considering the number of shots they had in the second half,” Ahinful told TV3.

He also emphasized that the Black Stars cannot underestimate these matches, given the quality of their opponents. “We’ve known for the past two or three months that we’d be facing South Korea and Japan. These games should not be taken for granted,” he added.

Ghana will look to bounce back when they take on South Korea on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, in the second international friendly of the current Asian tour.