Ghana’s U-20 women rocked as captain and six others ruled out of U20 Women’s World Cup

Ghana’s under-20 women’s national football team, the Black Princesses, have suffered a major setback ahead of the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland.

Seven key players have been officially ruled out of the tournament due to severe injuries, heavily disrupting the final preparations of head coach Charles Sampson.

The most devastating blow to the squad is the loss of team captain and midfield anchor Linda Owusu Ansah, who sustained an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear.

The injury occurred while she was on senior international duty with the Black Queens during their campaign at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON).

Owusu Ansah, who plays club football for AFC Toronto in Canada, was instrumental during the qualification stages, famously scoring the decisive free-kick against Uganda that sealed Ghana’s spot at the World Cup.

The squad’s defensive depth has been critically depleted, with three elite goalkeepers—Asana Osman, Grace Andoh, and Jenna Kayla Sarpong—all sidelined by injuries.

To compound the team’s structural issues, the attacking frontline faces severe limitations following injuries to dangerous forwards Mercy Attobrah and Mary Amponsah.

Midfielder Jessica Appiah completes the list of casualties, leaving Sampson to rapidly alter his tactical blueprints just weeks before kickoff.

Despite these catastrophic squad losses, the remaining members of the Black Princesses have arrived at their pre-tournament training camp in Krakow, Poland.

They are utilizing a series of international friendlies to test new tactical combinations and integrate late replacements.

Placed in a demanding Group C, Ghana is scheduled to open its eighth consecutive World Cup campaign against Ecuador on September 6, 2026, before battling the structures of South Korea and France.