Appiah Speaks Positives Despite Japan Loss-My Players Did Well

Ghana coach, Kwesi Appiah has described the Black Stars display against Japan on Tuesday as positive despite losing 1-3 to the Asians. Japan proved too strong for Ghana in an international friendly in Yokohama, which the Blue Samurai rallied from a goal down, producing three second half goals to wrap up victory in front a packed arena. Appiah told GNA Sports in a post match interview that "I was very positively impressed by the performance of my players, they all did well. To build a team, it is important to play against top teams as Japan." Appiah who could become the first local coach to qualify the Black Stars to a World Cup after guiding the team to the final phase of the Brazil 2014 World Cup qualifiers however, was quick to puncher the focus of his charges. "At this level when you lose concentration, you pay a price for it and that is what happened in the game. Performance-wise, it was a good game for us,� Appiah said. The hosts outplayed their guests in the encounter that saw the latter parading a side bereft of some regular faces. Appiah left out captain Asamoah Gyan, Andre Ayew, Michael Essien, Mubarak Wakaso, Emmanuel Agyemang Badu and Kevin-Prince Boateng from the clash in order to observe �fringe� members of the team ahead of the playoff next month. He had kind words for the Asians, the first country to book a place in next year�s World Cup. "I believe that Japan is a very good team, all of their players are very good. I don�t think it is fair to talk about a single player, but Shinji Kagawa is a very good player, everybody knows that." With central defender John Boye as captain, the Stars will shoot ahead on 24 minutes through Frank Acheampong with a shot that deflected of Japan defender Yasuyuki Konno into the net. The Stars held onto their slim ahead in the first half but it was the Japanese all the way after recess. Manchester United midfielder Kagawa and Keisuke Honda were such a mouthful for the Ghanaian rear and it was only matter of time that the equalizer would. During one of such runs into Ghana half on 50 minutes, Kagawa on a solo move outwitted Jonathan Mensah before firing past goalkeeper Razak Braimah for the equalizer. On 64 minutes, Yasuhito Endo powered the Japanese into the lead for the first time with a shot that surprisingly beat Braimah before Honda put the icing on the cake eight minutes later by connecting in a Kagawa free-kick.