The friendly match between Japan and Myanmar on the afternoon of November 14 ended with a 2-0 victory for the Asian team. However, what caught public attention was the serious injury of midfielder Abu Francis.
In a situation where he tried to block Tanaka Ao's shot on the edge of the penalty area, Francis was unfortunately seriously injured due to the strong shot from the Japanese striker. The combination seemed normal but caused Francis to break his ankle.
Immediately after the collision, Francis lay on the ground in pain and was immediately taken care of by doctors. He had to leave the field on a stretcher in the 56th minute, surprising his teammates. Many players were shocked by the seriousness of the injury, because the situation happened so quickly and was not intentional from Tanaka.
Amid the tension, Tanaka immediately went to the Ghana technical area to apologize to head coach Otto Addo.
According to information from the Ghana press, Francis will have to take a long break from competition for treatment and recovery. This was a big shock for the midfielder, especially since Francis has just been called back to the Ghana national team after a period of absence from the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in September and October.
However, the source also said that the possibility of Francis recovering in time to participate in the 2026 World Cup is still very bright, but he will have to race against time.
As for Myanmar, they will continue their preparation journey for the World Cup with a friendly match against South Korea on November 18. Francis's injury will certainly greatly affect the team's personnel plans and force him to calculate an immediate replacement plan.
