Ghana’s female U-20 National team, the Black Princesses, have arrived in Lusaka, Zambia, ahead of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup qualifier against the Young Copper Queens of Zambia.

The Princesses departed Accra in the early hours of Tuesday, November 30, via an Ethiopian Airline and touched down at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport, Lusaka, around 2pm on Wednesday, December 1, 2021.

The team, according to the Ghana Football Association (GFA), is currently lodging at the Protea Hotel and expected to hold its first training session on Thursday, December 2, 2021 at the Sunset Stadium. This will be the Black Princesses’ first test in the qualifying stages after Mauritania’s withdrawal gave them a walkover in the previous stage of the qualifiers.

Players to watch

Ahead of the first leg encounter with the Zambians, Black Princesses Coach, Ben Forkuo, named a-23-woman squad for the game. The squad looks stronger with CAF Women’s Champions League finalist, Hasaacas Ladies, dominating the call-ups with five players, including the tournament Goal Queen, Evelyn Badu.

Badu, 19, won the maiden CAF Women’s Champions League top scorer award, scoring five goals at the tournament. She scored twice in Hasaacas Ladies first game which they won 3-0 against Malabo Kings and registered another two goals in the second match against AS Mande.

Badu didn’t score in the last group game against Wadi Degla but returned to the score sheet in the semi-final win over ASFAR Rabat. Unfortunately, Badu couldn’t score in the final match as Hasaacas Ladies succumbed to a 2-0 defeat in the hands of South African Giants, Mamelodi Sundowns.

The squad also includes two foreign-based players with Spain-based striker Mukarama Abdulai of Deportivo Alaves Feminino, expected to lead the attack. The princesses will count on her vast exploits abroad and at the FIFA U-17 level to score more goals to brighten their chances of progressing to the fourth round of the qualifiers.

The match will be played on Saturday, December 4, 2021 at 1pm with the return leg scheduled for December 17, 2021.

The Black Princesses have made five successive appearances at the FIFA U-20 World since 2010 but have never progressed beyond the group stages. The team is therefore, seeking to make history by qualifying for the sixth consecutive time and possibly progressing beyond the group stages for the first time. The FIFA U-20 World Cup is slated for Costa Rica next year.

The squad list announced by Coach Fokuo

Goalkeepers

Cynthia Konlan – Pearl Pia Ladies, Grace Banwa – Hasaacas Ladies, Farahana Ziblim – Bagabaga Ladies

Defenders

Tedina Sekyere – Dreamz Ladies, Louisa Animwaa – Police Ladies, Susan Ama Duah – Berry Ladies, Ayisha Yakubu – Pearl Pia Ladies, Abena Anoma Opoku – Ampem Darkoa Ladies, Anasthesia Achiaa – Ampem Darkoa Ladies, Zuleiha Fuseini – Pearl Pia Ladies

Midfielders

Evelyn Badu – Hasaacas Ladies, Azuma Bugre – Hasaacas Ladies, Monica Addai – Berry Ladies, Elizabeth Oppong – Lefkhotea, Cyprus

Wingers

Mafia Nyame – Rock Ladies, Grace Animah- Police Ladies, Jafaru Rahama – Hasaacas Ladies, Doris Boaduwaa – Hasaacas Ladies, Suzzy Dede Teye – LadyStrikers, Constance Serwaa Agyemang – Berry Ladies

Strikers

Mukarama Abdulai – Deportivo Alaves Feminino, Ophelia Serwaa Amponsah – Ampem Darkoa Ladies, Salamatu Abdulai – Bagabaga Ladies.