Ghana coach Otto Addo has admitted his team were second best as they slumped to a 4-1 defeat to Japan in the opening match of the Kirin Cup at the Noevi Stadium in Kobe on Friday.
Yamane Miki gave Japan a 28th minute lead before Jordan Ayew levelled but that respite was short-lived as the Japanese restored their advantage through Kaoru Mitoma for a 2-1 half-time lead.
Takefusa Kubo then made it 3-1 after the break before Daezen Maeda added further gloss on the score line to hand Addo his first defeat as Ghana coach.
"A team that deserves to win. I admit that Japan were stronger.
"At the end of the first half, we also made a chance and scored a tie goal. However, it was unfortunate that we got a second goal just before the end. Even in the second half, we were fighting solid. However, after that, a third goal was scored and the momentum was lost. Japan was a very fast team with a good opponent,” he added.
"If we press and steal the ball, we can score, I thought. I think I was able to prove it after 20 minutes in the first half. Still, we couldn't cover the back space. We had a pocket stabbed. The final phase of one-on-one, I couldn't stop the other party.”
"The whole team was good for Japan. It's hard to name one person. It was a very good team. Crosses were sent to Japan one after another in the box and we couldn't stop the last part."
The defeat is a reality check for Addo who until then had enjoyed an unblemished record, starting with a barren draw followed by a 1-1 stalemate against Nigeria in the World Cup playoff in before beating Madagascar 3-0 and drawing 1-1 with Central African Republic in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
Addo also got to learn about the quality of his squad against a strong opponent as he prepares for the World Cup where the Black Stars are in Group H alongside Portugal, Uruguay and South Korea.
Japan will face Tunisia in the Cup final after the North Africans beat Chile 2-0 while the South Americans take on Ghana in the third-place playoff on Tuesday.