Black Stars coach Otto Addo says Ghana must tighten several aspects of their game ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after their 2-0 defeat to Japan in the Kirin Challenge Cup.

Goals from Takumi Minamino and Ritsu Doan in each half handed Ghana their first defeat in six matches.

Addo handed debuts to goalkeeper Joseph Anang and full-back Derrick Kohn, while Antoine Semenyo captained the team for the first time.

"So, there are a lot of things we saw today that we have to work on,” Otto said after the game.

“I know that the guys are young and they can learn. And we also have a lot of injuries. So, there was a lot of new set-ups in our match, in our team. They rarely played together before.

“So, yeah, we have a few more matches before the World Cup. We have to unite more as a team and to be much more dangerous upfront.”

Regulars including captain Jordan Ayew, Mohammed Kudus and Alexander Djiku were left out of the squad following injury concerns.

Ghana now turn their attention to their next friendly against South Korea on November 18.

The matches form part of preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.