Joe Nana Adarkwah celebrated Ghana's penalty shootout win over Argentina so hard he lost his voice, and now the Black Maidens eye a quarter-final.
Ghana's Black Maidens are into the quarter-finals of the 2026 FIFA U17 Women's World Cup, and their head coach has the hoarse voice to show for it. Joe Nana Adarkwah lost his voice in the wild celebrations that followed Ghana's penalty shootout win over Argentina in the Round of 16.
The match itself was a test of nerve. Ghana held Argentina to a 1-1 draw over 90 minutes despite finishing the contest with just 10 players. With the tie unresolved, it went to penalties, where the Black Maidens kept their composure to win 5-4 and book their place in the last eight.
In his post-match interview, Adarkwah said games like this are never easy, so a win like this deserves to be celebrated properly. He pointed to his lost voice as proof of how much the result meant, and said he was proud of his players and happy with how they performed.
The Black Maidens now wait to learn their next opponent. They will face the winner of the Round of 16 clash between Japan and Kenya, so an African team is guaranteed to be in the quarter-finals either way if Kenya advance, and Ghana will have a tough test if Japan do.
