I hope Framcis Abu will be able to play football again - Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu

Japan head coach Hajime Moriyasu has expressed his hope for a swift recovery for Ghana midfielder Francis Abu, who suffered a serious injury during the Kirin Challenge Cup match on Friday.

Speaking with sincerity after the game, Moriyasu said, "I hope that Francis will be able to play football again as soon as possible." The injury occurred early in the second half after a challenge from Tanaka Ao, who later apologised to the Ghana bench.

Moriyasu maintained that the foul was not committed with harmful intent. "In the end, it was a foul, but it was not something we did intentionally to injure him. In fact, I think we deserve to be called for the foul. Aoi is not at fault," he said.

The incident overshadowed Japan’s 2-0 victory in Nagoya, with both teams expressing concern for the midfielder’s condition.

The Ghana Football Association has confirmed that Abu is stable and undergoing further medical evaluation, while Toulouse say he will miss the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

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