Ghana's U-17 stars say the sting of defeat to Norway sharpened their edge ahead of a huge World Cup Round of 16 showdown with Argentina.
Ghana's Black Maidens are heading into the knockout rounds of the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup with belief, and West Africa's youth football pipeline is watching closely. Assistant coach Bashiru-Deen Sumaila says the squad is ready for its Round of 16 test against Argentina.
Sumaila credits much of that readiness to the loss against Norway, which he says jolted both the coaching staff and the players into action. The setback exposed problems that needed fixing straight away, and the team used it as a moment to reset and take a hard look at its own standards.
The main issue was plain: Ghana created enough chances to get something from that game but failed to finish them. Sumaila admitted the team could have won, and the technical staff then focused on sharpening the attack and making sure good moments in front of goal ended up in the net.
The response came against Canada, with a place in the tournament on the line. The Black Maidens delivered a determined 2-0 win, which Sumaila put down to the players' work rate and a well-drilled tactical plan.
Now comes the biggest test yet. A knockout tie against Argentina offers Ghana a chance to push deeper into the competition and show that its young talents can make their mark on the global stage.
