BAKU, AZERBAIJAN – OCTOBER 13: Players of Ghana win Bronze during the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup 2012 Final match beween France and Korea DPR at Tofig Bahramov Stadium on October 13, 2012 in Baku, Azerbaijan. (Photo by Jamie McDonald – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
Ghana is set to compete at the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, which is scheduled to start on October 17 in Morocco.
The Black Maidens make a return to the global stage after being absent from the last three editions, with their last appearance in 2018.
Ghana failed to qualify for the 2022 edition after losing on penalties to Morocco, while they were subsequently banned for the last two editions after being found guilty of age cheating.
Nana Joe Adarkwa guided the Black Maidens to what will be their seventh appearance at the World Cup, seeing out a smooth qualification process that saw them play Togo, Liberia, and Senegal.
The former Ampem Darkoa Ladies head coach knows what is at stake as far as Ghana’s record at this level is concerned, having only failed to make it out of the group on two occasions.
Ghana will face Norway, Brazil, and Canada in Group C of the 2026 edition, with the Rabat set to host all games.
Debutants in 2008
Ghana made its first appearance at the tournament in 2008 under the guidance of Abraham Allotey. In that year, the team failed to progress from the group after amassing four points from three group games against Germany, North Korea, and Costa Rica.
The Maidens drew 1-1 with the Asian side in their opening game of the tournament before suffering a 3-2 loss to Germany. In their final game of the group, Allotey’s side beat Costa Rica 1-0, but the result wasn’t enough to see them progress through the next round.
Second appearance in 2010
Having played in the first edition in 2008, Ghana returned to the stage again two years later, hoping to improve on their performance. However, they finished off worse, claiming just three points.
Ghana lost to Canada in their opening game of the tournament, which was played in Trinidad & Tobago. After losing to Canada, Ghana bounced back to winning ways as they defeated Brazil but eventually suffered another group stage exit when they lost to the Republic of Ireland.
The historic run in 2012
Back-to-back exits didn’t stop Ghana’s quest to be at the next competition. Led by Mas-Ud Didi Dramani, Ghana recorded its best performance at the World Cup in 2012. The former Asante Kotoko and Hearts of Oak coach led the Black Maidens to a podium finish, claiming a bronze medal in Azerbaijan.
Placed in Group D, the Black Maidens only defeat in the group stage came against Germany in the opening game. They then went on to beat Uruguay and China in their subsequent games to advance into the quarterfinals of the competition. Sherifatu Sumaila scored the only goal against Japan in the quarterfinals as they set up a clash against France in the final.
Didi Dramani’s side fell short against France and had to settle for the third-place playoff, where they beat Germany to win bronze.
The quartefinal heartbreak in 2014
Having come close to a final spot two years before, Evans Adotey took over the team with the expectation of doing better than before.
For the first time in their participation in the tournament, Ghana finished top of their group. Ghana took maximum points from Germany and North Korea in their first two games, winning 2-0 and 1-0, respectively. However, they succumbed to a 2-1 defeat against Canada in their final group game.
Ghana’s top-place finish meant they faced Italy in the quarterfinals. A resilient performance took the fixture to penalties, where Italy emerged winners, sending Ghana packing.
Another quarterfinal exit in 2016
Evans Adotey was allowed to continue at the helm of affairs as he took the team to the 2016 edition. The Black Maidens matched their point tally from the previous edition, winning two out of the three group stage games. An opening 5-0 loss to Japan didn’t deter Ghana from continuing their fight as Adotey’s side claimed 2-1 and 1-0 wins over the United States of America and Paraguay.
Having made the quarterfinals, Ghana faced familiar opponents in North Korea. Their journey, however, ended with a 2-1 loss.
The Mukrama-led 2018 magic
In what is mostly described as the best individual performance by an African player at this level, Mukarama Abdulai became a household name in Uruguay 2018.
For the first time since their debut, the Black Maidens claimed all nine points available in the group stage. Mukaram scored a hat-trick as Ghana eased their way past Uruguay, recording a 5-0 win. She was on the scoresheet again in the 3-1 win over Finland in the second game. Mukarama was the star of the game against New Zealand, scoring a brace in the 2-0 victory.
Ghana had to face Mexico in the quarterfinal of the competition. Despite the inspiration from Ghana, Mexico scored in the final ten minutes of the game to take the game to extra time before penalties, where Ghana suffered another shootout heartbreak.
Mukrama finished the competition as the top scorer, becoming the first and only African to achieve that feat.
Having missed the last three editions, Adarkwa knows there is a lot at stake for their return.
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