The Ghana national team are preparing for the World Cup with friendly fixtures

Ghana are looking to use the mini-tournament to enhance their preparations for the World Cup, where they have been pitted against Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal, Luis Suarez’s Uruguay and Son Heung-Min’s South Korea.

The team will face four international teams

Ghana have announced friendly fixtures against Japan and either Tunisia or Chile as part of preparations for the World Cup in Qatar later this year. All four nations have qualified for the global showpiece scheduled to run from November 21 to December 18. In what will be a four-nation Kirin Super Cup between June 10 and 14, Ghana, according to a publication on the FA’s official website, will lock horns with hosts Japan on June 10, while Tunisia will take on Chile. The two winners will come face to face in the final on June 14, the same day the two semi-final losers play each other for bronze. Ghana are looking to use the mini-tournament to enhance their preparations for the World Cup, where they have been pitted against Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal, Luis Suarez’s Uruguay and Son Heung-Min’s South Korea.

The spirit around the team has changed

The Japan tournament is expected to complete the Black Stars’ round of assignments in the May 30 to June 14 international window. Which will also see Otto Addo’s side take on Madagascar and the Central African Republic in a 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying fixtures. The two Afcon qualifiers are expected to place before the Black Stars, who endured a disappointing outing at Afcon earlier this year but promptly picked themselves back up to beat Nigeria on the away goals rule to qualify for the World Cup, turn attention to Japan for the cup competition. “The spirit around the team has now changed, and I believe that our team will be very competitive given the draw that we had.”

“Obviously, there are setting decisions that we need to make to set the ball rolling, but Portugal – yes, Uruguay – yes, and the Korea Republic, we will make it,” Ghana FA boss Kurt Okraku said on the Black Stars after the World Cup draw earlier this month.

“Preparations for this adventure started at the Afcon. We picked up the pieces; we engaged in those two very big games. So beyond that, I am sure we will regroup; I believe we are very sure as to what the team will look like. Some additions, the coach permitting, I believe we will enjoy ourselves in Qatar, and the world will enjoy the Black Stars.”

Ghana are set to make a return to the World Cup after missing out on the 2018 edition in Russia.