Accra: Former Ghana international, Augustine Arhinful has attributed the Black Stars’ recent defeat to Japan to the absence of crucial players.
According to Ghana Web, Arhinful emphasized that the presence of Thomas Partey, Kudus Mohammed, and captain Jordan Ayew might have significantly altered the outcome in favor of the Black Stars during their match against the Japanese team. The Black Stars faced a 2-0 defeat to Japan in the Kirin Challenge Cup held at Toyota Stadium on Friday, November 14, 2025.
“If the likes of Partey, Kudus, and Jordan Ayew played against Japan, we wouldn’t have lost and it was clear in the game,” Arhinful stated during an interview with TV3. He further described the result of the game as fair, considering the performance of the Japanese team. “The results are never in doubt. What we observed here, [the] 2-0, is a fair result. It could have been worse, looking at the number of shots that they [Japan] had in the second half,” he added.
Arhinful urged the Black Stars not to underestimate any matches, emphasizing the importance of preparation against teams like South Korea and Japan, which they had been aware of for the past few months. Following their defeat, the Black Stars have now traveled to Seoul for an important clash against South Korea.