Japan U-23 defeat Local Black Stars

Japan’s U-23 side hammered the local Black Stars 3-0 and lifted the MS&AD Cup during a friendly international match played at the Best Amenities Stadium in Saga on Wednesday.

The match, used to raise funds for victims of the Kumamoto earthquake, saw the host nation taking early control of the game and pinned the Ghanaians to their territory, scoring all the three goals within the half -hour mark of the game.

It was midfielder Yajima Shinya who opened the scoring for the host in the fourth minute when he took advantage of a defensive blunder and planted the ball beyond the reach of the goalkeeper in post for the Black Stars.

Down by a goal, the Stars built a wall in their half to repulse the incessant attack of the Japanese, but that did not prevent Yajima Shinya to increase the tally a couple of minutes later.

As the game proceeded, the Ghanians started gaining confidence and made inroads into the vital area of their opponents, but their efforts did not yield any dividend.

Just before the half hour mark, the Japanese were on hand again when their key striker, Togashi Cayman, added his name to the score sheet with a beautiful goal.

The Ghanaians threw themselves into the game in the second half with the view of scoring a consolations goal but the homesters repulsed all the attacks, making it impossible for the Stars to hit the back of the net.