Ghana head coach Joe Nana Adarkwah says the Black Maidens must reach the semi-finals of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup after overcoming Argentina 5-4 on penalties in the quarter-final.
Ghana secured their place in the last eight in dramatic fashion, surviving the final 13 minutes with 10 players after Hajara Adam was sent off.
Jessica Appiah scored the decisive penalty to complete the victory, prompting emotional celebrations from the Ghana camp.
Adarkwah, whose voice had become hoarse during the celebrations, praised his players for their performance and resilience.
“Matches like this, it’s not easy. So, after winning it, you have to celebrate. You can see that I’ve lost my voice because of the celebration. So, I’m very happy and I’m proud for the girls. We have done well,” he said.
The coach felt Ghana had controlled the contest for much of the match and credited the players for following their tactical instructions despite the dismissal.
“Yeah, we controlled the game from the start until the red card. But tactically, the girls played to the instructions until they equalised. Let’s thank God that we won the match through penalties. We are happy about the win,” Adarkwah added.
Ghana will now wait to discover their quarter-final opponents. Adarkwah said his team would be ready for whoever they face as they pursue a place in the last four.
“We are waiting for our next opponent, and we will deal with them, whatever it is. We have to qualify to the semi-finals,” he said.
GFA COMMUNICATIONS
