The President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Kurt Okraku, has issued a message of encouragement and caution to the Black Princesses ahead of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Colombia.
Making their seventh consecutive appearance at the tournament, the Black Princesses have been drawn into a challenging Group E, facing Austria, familiar opponents New Zealand, and tournament favourites Japan. With a tough group ahead, the team will be aiming to overcome past disappointments and make history by advancing beyond the group stage for the first time.
Ghana’s previous performances at the U-20 World Cup have been mixed. In 2018, the Black Princesses finished third in their group behind France and the Netherlands, securing only a single win against New Zealand. The 2022 edition was even more challenging, as Ghana lost all three of their group matches. Between 2014 and 2022, the team has won just three out of 12 World Cup matches, highlighting the need for improvement.
Addressing the media at a press briefing in Sunyani, GFA President Kurt Okraku urged the squad to raise their performance level and break the pattern of early exits.
“On the six consecutive occasions that we’ve been to the World Cup, we’ve not gone beyond the group stages. This year, the vision is very clear, we’re going to the competition and we must better our performances,” he said.
Okraku also reassured that the association has provided the necessary support for the team, expressing confidence in both the players and the technical staff.
“We’ve given the team all the support they need. We believe they are a good team, and we believe the technical team is well on course to deliver,” he added.
The Black Princesses are currently in a training camp in Cape Coast as they put the finishing touches on their preparations ahead of the tournament, which kicks off on August 31, 2024. With determination and focus, Ghana will be hoping to rewrite their World Cup history.
