Ghana's U17 Women's World Cup run ends in the quarter-finals, but coach Joe Nana Adarkwa says the Black Maidens will grow from the experience.
Ghana's Black Maidens have exited the U17 Women's World Cup, but coach Joe Nana Adarkwa insists the journey leaves African youth football with real positives to carry forward. The young Ghanaians went down 1-0 to Japan in the quarter-finals in Rabat on Sunday.
Japan controlled possession and territory for most of the first half, and the Black Maidens managed just one attempt on goal before the break. Ghana held firm without the ball, but they struggled to turn defensive resilience into attacking threat.
The decisive moment came after the restart, when Nanami Kurita found the breakthrough for Japan. Ghana responded with more urgency and pushed forward in search of an equaliser, but the Japanese defence stayed organised and closed out the result, sending Japan into the semi-finals.
For Ghana, it is another quarter-final exit on the global stage, yet Adarkwa was gracious in defeat. He congratulated Japan on a job well done and said his side would take time to review the campaign, recognise what worked and address what did not. The message was clear: build on the positives, learn from the mistakes, and get ready for the next assignment.
