Ghana’s U-20 women’s national football team, the Black Princesses, have booked their place at the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland after battling to a 1-1 draw against Uganda in the second leg of their final qualifying tie.
The result secured a 3-2 aggregate victory for Ghana, following their narrow 2-1 triumph in the first leg at the Accra Sports Stadium last weekend.
It marks the eighth consecutive appearance for Ghana at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, further underlining the country’s consistency on the global stage at youth level.
Black Princesses head coach Charles Sampson praised the determination and character of his players after the dramatic encounter.
“We knew Uganda would come at us strongly, especially at home, but I am proud of the mentality of these girls. Sampson said after the match. Even after the red card, they showed courage, discipline and belief. Qualifying again for the World Cup is a massive achievement for this team and for Ghana football.”
Charles Sampson, Black Princesses head coach
10-Woman Princesses Hold Their Nerves to Eliminate The Queen Cranes
Uganda’s Queen Cranes came into the decisive clash determined to secure a historic first-ever qualification to the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup and made the perfect start in front of their home supporters in Kampala.
The hosts took the lead just six minutes into the contest after a dangerous low cross into the penalty area resulted in an unfortunate own goal from Ghana defender Precious Asante.
The early strike levelled the aggregate score at 2-2 and briefly swung the advantage in Uganda’s favour, with the hosts looking increasingly confident as they pushed for another goal. At 2-2, the host looked set to grab the World Cup ticket on the away goal rule.
Ghana, however, gradually settled into the game and began to threaten going forward despite facing a charged atmosphere. The Black Princesses created a number of opportunities but struggled to find the finishing touch in a tense first half.
The task became even more difficult for the visitors midway through the second half when Margaret Agyapomaa was shown a straight red card with 22 minutes remaining. The Ghanaian defender had successfully cleared the ball during a challenge but subsequently stepped onto the leg of her opponent.
The South African referee in charge of the game judged the challenge to involve excessive force and immediately produced the red card, reducing Ghana to 10 players at a crucial stage of the encounter.
With a numerical advantage and momentum on their side, Uganda intensified their pressure in search of the decisive goal that would have sealed qualification.
Despite being a player down, the Black Princesses refused to retreat and instead pushed forward in search of the all-important equaliser. Their resilience paid off in the 78th minute through captain Linda Owusu, who produced a moment of brilliance to silence the home crowd.
Owusu curled a stunning free kick from close to the corner area over the goalkeeper and into the top right corner, handing Ghana the crucial away goal and restoring their aggregate lead.
The goal shifted the pressure back onto the Queen Cranes, who launched several late attacks in desperate search of another breakthrough to force the match to extra time. However, Ghana’s defence stood firm under sustained pressure, with the players showing immense composure and determination in the closing stages to protect their advantage.
At the final whistle, jubilant scenes erupted among the Ghanaian players and technical team as they celebrated another successful qualification campaign.
READ ALSO: Accra Set for Amapiano Explosion as Uncle Waffles Takes Over Enzo Tonight
