Black Maidens ready to stun Argentina as Ghana coach backs them to reach U-17 World Cup quarter-finals

Ghana assistant coach Bashiru-Deen Sumaila is confident the Black Maidens can overcome Argentina and secure a place in the quarter-finals of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, insisting his players are prepared for the crucial Round of 16 encounter.

The Black Maidens face Argentina on Wednesday, October 28, after recovering from an opening defeat to Norway to secure qualification from the group stage.

Sumaila believes the lessons from their early setbacks have helped the technical team sharpen its approach, with Ghana determined to build on their impressive victory over Canada.

“The girls are very poised and ready for the game,” he said in a pre-match interview. “Tomorrow is going to be a very good game, and we will win. We are going to give our best tomorrow, and success shall be ours.”

Norway defeat provided wake-up call

Ghana began their campaign with a 3-0 defeat to Norway, a result that exposed weaknesses the technical team needed to address before their subsequent matches.

Sumaila admitted the loss forced both the coaches and players to reassess their performance and identify areas for improvement.

“It woke up both the technical staff and the playing body,” he explained.

The assistant coach acknowledged that Ghana had opportunities to get a better result but failed to make them count, prompting a renewed focus on finishing.

“We could have won the game, but we missed a lot of chances,” he admitted.

The technical team subsequently worked on improving the players’ decision-making in front of goal while addressing the mistakes that contributed to their opening defeat.

Those adjustments proved important as Ghana sought to keep their tournament hopes alive in their remaining group matches.

Canada victory boosts Ghana’s confidence

The Black Maidens responded to their setback against Norway with a spirited performance against Brazil, earning a 3-3 draw before defeating Canada 2-0 to secure their place in the knockout stage.

The victory over Canada demonstrated Ghana’s ability to respond under pressure, with the team finishing the group stage with four points to advance to the Round of 16.

Sumaila credited the turnaround to the players’ hard work and the technical team’s preparation, with the coaching staff now hoping to carry that momentum into the contest against Argentina.

Ghana will need another disciplined performance to progress, particularly against an opponent that topped its group and has demonstrated its quality during the tournament.

The Black Maidens, however, will draw encouragement from their recovery after the Norway defeat and their ability to produce results when their qualification hopes were at stake.

Video analysis key to Argentina preparations

With a quarter-final place on the line, Ghana have also stepped up their preparations by studying Argentina’s performances and identifying the areas they can exploit.

Sumaila revealed that the technical team had conducted video analysis sessions with the players to help them understand their opponents’ strengths and the tactical demands of the encounter.

“We’ve watched Argentina. We had the time to have the girls watch whatever is supposed to be done, what they need to work around, and what we have to be very careful of,” he stated.

The assistant coach emphasised the need for concentration and tactical discipline, particularly when defending against Argentina’s attacking threats.

Although he declined to disclose the specific details of Ghana’s game plan, Sumaila confirmed that the team had identified areas requiring special attention.

The technical team will expect the players to apply those lessons on the pitch, remain organised and take advantage of their opportunities in front of goal.

Ghana target quarter-final place

Argentina’s group-topping campaign presents a significant challenge for Ghana, who must deliver another strong performance to extend their stay at the tournament.

For the Black Maidens, the encounter also offers an opportunity to demonstrate how much they have improved since their opening defeat to Norway.

Having drawn with Brazil and beaten Canada, Ghana will enter Wednesday’s knockout fixture encouraged by their progress during the group stage.

Sumaila remains convinced that his players have the determination and preparation required to overcome the South Americans and move into the quarter-finals.

The Black Maidens must now translate that confidence into a performance capable of keeping their FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup campaign alive.