Black Princesses head coach Yussif Basigi has emphasized the critical importance of their upcoming match against Japan for their chances of advancing from the group stage of the 2024 U20 Women’s World Cup.
Ghana’s U20 women’s national team will take on Japan on Thursday night at the Estadio Metropolitano de Techo in Colombia.
The Black Princesses fell 2-1 to Austria in their Group E opener on Monday, while Japan overwhelmed New Zealand with a 7-0 win.
Despite the formidable challenge, Basigi remains optimistic. He is confident that his team can overcome the tournament favorites, who won the title in 2018.
“We’ve taken the pain to psych the players up, to put the game behind them, and look forward to the next game.
"Many will see us as underdogs because the Japanese won massively. We see ourselves as serious contenders.
"We’ve made them understand that a defeat will not be good for us. Not at all."
Ghana has yet to advance past the group stage in six previous attempts at the U20 Women’s World Cup.
In the other Group E fixture, Austria will face New Zealand at 1 a.m. on Friday.