Black Stars' loss to Japan and South Korea will affect rankings - Sam Johnson

Former Ghana defender Sam Johnson has expressed concern over the Black Stars’ winless Asian tour, warning that back-to-back losses could affect the nation’s FIFA ranking ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

Ghana suffered a 2–0 defeat to Japan, followed by a 1–0 loss to South Korea, leaving the team without a win in the friendlies.

Speaking to Citi Sports, Johnson described the results as troubling, particularly with the World Cup on the horizon.

“As a player or as a country, you can’t ignore results like this. It’s concerning ahead of such a big tournament,” he said.

He highlighted the immediate consequence: a likely drop in Ghana’s FIFA ranking. “The more you lose, the more you go down; that is the main problem,” Johnson noted.

Despite the disappointing outcomes, Johnson urged fans to consider the context. Many key players were absent, and several squad members were making their first appearances for the national team.

“Some of the players are not the ones we’ll take to the World Cup, so that alone should shift perceptions. Some are playing their first matches, and others are new to the setup. We have to allow them time to adapt,” he explained.

The former Hearts of Oak defender described the tour as a testing phase for coach Otto Addo and his technical team.

“We are experimenting, and experiments don’t always go perfectly. The goal is to figure out how best to get our players performing at their peak,” he said.

The Black Stars are scheduled to regroup in March next year as preparations for the 2026 World Cup continue. Before that, they will learn their group-stage opponents on December 5.

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