“We Have the Strength to Beat Them” – Otto Addo Confident Ahead of Japan Friendly
Black Stars head coach Otto Addo says his team is relishing the challenge of facing Japan in Friday’s international friendly at the Toyota Stadium in Aichi, describing the clash as a “tight but exciting” contest between two improving football nations.
Speaking at his pre-match press conference on Thursday in Aichi, Addo expressed appreciation for Japan’s hospitality and praised the Japanese Football Federation for its organisation and professionalism.
We are very, very pleased to be here. This is not our first time, we know the Japanese Federation has a very, very strong team,” Addo said. “I think so far everything went well with the organisation and so on, and we are looking forward to that match. It will be difficult for us, but I know we also have the strength to beat Japan.”
The friendly is part of Ghana’s preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America.
Reflecting on how much the Japanese side has evolved since the last time the two nations met, Addo acknowledged the East Asian side’s impressive progress.
With the result of beating Brazil 3-2, you can see how Japanese football has developed. It’s still developing, so it’s going to be very tough for us,” he noted. “But we also have developed, we have a lot of young, hungry players on board. We have a team, I think, on bad days we can struggle, but on good days, we can beat everyone.”
Addo pointed to Ghana’s performances at the 2022 World Cup as proof of the team’s potential, referencing memorable displays against Portugal and South Korea.
We showed at the last World Cup that we were close to beating Portugal, we beat South Korea, so I think we have a competitive team and we’re looking forward also to make the next step,” he added.
The Black Stars are expected to field a blend of experienced internationals and new faces as they continue to build towards the 2026 World Cup campaign in the USA, Mexico, and Canada.
Ghana face Japan on Friday, November 14, at 7 pm local time (10 am Ghana time).