By Simon Asare
Accra, Oct. 25, GNA – The Black Maidens of Ghana have secured a place in the Round of 16 of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco after a deserved 2-0 victory over Canada in their final Group B match.
The victory enabled Ghana to finish the group stage with four points and leapfrog Canada into the knockout phase, while the North Americans were left waiting to see if they would advance as one of the best third-placed teams.
Coach Joe Nana Adarkwa’s side showed determination throughout the encounter and created the best chance of the first half when Jessica Appiah embarked on a brilliant solo run before seeing her powerful effort tipped onto the post by Canadian goalkeeper Megan Lemieux.
The breakthrough came in the second half following a double substitution by the Ghana coach.
A looping pass from Hajara Adam led to a scramble in the Canadian box after the ball rebounded off the post, with Priscilla Mensah setting up fellow substitute Linda Achiaa to score with her first touch just 35 seconds after coming on.
Ghana sealed the victory in stoppage time when another substitute, Christiana Ashiaku, fired home from long range to spark celebrations among the Ghanaian contingent.
The Black Maidens advanced after recovering from an opening 3-0 defeat to Norway and a thrilling 3-3 draw against Brazil.
They would now face Argentina in the Round of 16 on Wednesday, October 28, 2026.
Argentina topped their group with an impressive campaign and are expected to present a stern challenge, but Ghana would head into the knockout encounter with renewed confidence following their strong finish to the group stage.
The Black Maidens would be aiming to continue their resurgence and secure a place in the quarterfinals of the competition.
GNA
Edited by Kenneth Odeng Adade
Reporter: Simon Asare
Email: [email protected]