2024 U-20 Women’s World Cup: Black Princesses fail to break group phase curse on seventh attempt

For the seventh consecutive tournament, Ghana’s Black Princesses have failed to advance beyond the group stages of the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup.

Despite facing New Zealand in their final group game, the Ghanaian side’s fate was sealed after Argentina’s victory over Costa Rica, securing the last-best third-place slot and eliminating Ghana’s chances of progressing.

The Princesses began their 2024 World Cup campaign in Colombia with a disappointing 2-1 loss to tournament debutants Austria. They followed that with a 4-1 defeat at the hands of 2018 champions, Japan, leaving their hopes of advancing hanging by a thread.

Although a win against New Zealand would give them three points, it would not be enough to surpass any of the best third-placed teams.

Coach Yussif Basigi, banking on a slip-up from Argentina, made the bold decision to bench first-choice goalkeeper Afi Amenyeku, giving Jenna Sapong her debut. However, the outcome of Argentina’s match rendered Ghana’s final group fixture a dead rubber.

The Black Princesses entered the tournament with high expectations, especially after claiming gold in women’s football at the 2023 African Games. Their group-stage elimination once again raises questions about the structural issues within the team, as they continue to struggle on the world stage.

While Ghana exits the competition, fellow African teams Nigeria and Cameroon have progressed to the next round. Nigeria finished second in their group behind Germany while Cameroon advanced as one of the best third-placed teams.

Ghana will need to regroup and reassess as they look ahead to the next edition of the tournament, still chasing their first-ever knockout stage appearance.

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