Shocking image: Japanese player breaks Ghanaian player's leg

TPO - Tanaka Ao's full-force kick accidentally hit Abu Francis' leg, causing the Ghanaian player to suffer a haunting injury.

Close-up of Francis' injury.

The incident took place in the 51st minute of a friendly match between Japan and Ghana. Tanaka Ao received the ball in front of the penalty area and swung his leg to shoot from a distance of more than 20 meters from the goal. At this time, Francis rushed from behind to block Tanaka. Francis's right foot was inserted at the exact moment Tanaka swung his leg with all his strength. As a result, Tanaka kicked Francis's foot instead of the ball and seriously injured his colleague.

Looking back at the slow-motion camera angle, it was easy to see Francis's leg deformed. Specifically, the Ghanaian player's ankle was skewed to one side. Francis had to leave the field on a stretcher, much to the concern of his teammates and members of the Ghana coaching staff. After the match, Yen Sport reported that the entire Ghana team was praying for Francis.

Ghana coach Otto Addo said the injury was serious, possibly a broken ankle. "I'm shocked. I know injuries are part of football, but Francis has a really serious problem," coach Addo said.

Francis, born in 2001, is playing for Toulouse Club. He has been on the Ghana national team since 2024, has played 6 matches so far and has increasingly shown his importance. If the worst case scenario happens to Francis, which is a broken ankle, this midfielder will likely miss the entire 2025/26 season. At that time, Francis's preparation for the 2026 World Cup will also be disrupted.

Returning to the friendly match between Japan and Ghana, the "Blue Samurai" won 2-0. The two players who scored for Japan were Takumi Minamino and Ritsu Doan. The two teams fielded their strongest lineups, seeing this as a good opportunity to test their mettle towards the 2026 World Cup. Japan dominated Ghana with 51.3% possession and twice as many shots as their opponents (14 situations).

Source: https://tienphong.vn/hinh-anh-soc-cau-thu-nhat-ban-sut-gay-chan-tuyen-thu-ghana-post1796336.tpo