About two months after facing each other at the women’s level, Ghana and Japan senior men’s team will also lock horns in an international friendly, Footy-Ghana.com has confirmed.
As already publicized, Ghana’s Black Queens are set to play the Nadeshiko Japan in a friendly on April 1.
Now, the Football Associations of the two countries have agreed for the Samurai Blue to host the Black Stars in what will be the send-off game for the Russia 2018 World Cup-bound Japan on Wednesday May 30.
Yokohama’s Nissan Stadium, which hosted the 2002 World Cup final, has been confirmed as venue for the test game.
At the World Cup, Japan will come up against African side Senegal at the group stage and so are keen on getting a feel of some opposition from the continent in their preparations. They are therefore lining up two games against Mali and Ghana to serve as simulation exercises for the Teranga Lions. Japan will first play the Malians on March 23.
“After our March friendly against Mali, we’ll be playing Ghana, who I think are very similar to Senegal. We have to get used to teams with explosive speed, power, and aggressiveness,” Japan head coach Vahid Halilhodzic said in confirming their date with coach Kwasi Appiah and his men.
“It will be important to show what we can do in our last match in Japan. We want to prepare well ahead of the tournament and I hope our supporters will help us by creating a great atmosphere as always,” he added.
Ghana, who failed to qualify for this year’s World Cup, have indicated they want to take advantage of Russia-bound teams to better their position on the Fifa rankings.
Ghana place just above 55th-ranked Japan in the recently released Fifa rankings. But it is the Samurai Blue who have won their last two encounters with the Black Stars, the most recent a 3-1 result in the 2013 Kirin Challenge Cup.
After facing Japan in Yokohama, the Black Stars will also head to Europe where they will face Iceland, the smallest country to qualify for the World Cup at Laugardalsvellir on Thursday June 7.
