Ghana's Black Maidens held their nerve with 10 players, edging Argentina 5-4 in a shootout to reach the U-17 Women's World Cup semi-finals.
Ghana are through to the final four of the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup. The Black Maidens edged Argentina 5-4 on penalties in a quarter-final that tested their nerve to the limit.
The drama peaked when Hajara Adam was shown a red card, leaving Ghana to defend for the last 13 minutes a player short. Rather than crumble, the young Africans dug in, stuck to the plan and dragged the tie to a shootout. Jessica Appiah then stepped up and buried the winning spot-kick, sparking wild scenes among the Ghana squad and staff.
Head coach Joe Nana Adarkwah was so caught up in the celebrations that he lost his voice. He said he was proud of the girls and insisted that a hard-fought win like this deserves a proper party. In his view, Ghana controlled the game from the start until the sending-off, and the players kept to his tactical instructions even after the red card changed the match.
Adarkwah gave thanks for the shootout victory, but he is not satisfied yet. He has made it clear that the Black Maidens must now push on and secure a place in the semi-finals, and the belief in this group looks stronger than ever.
