Black Maidens head coach Joe Nana Adarkwah has warned that Ghana will not take any opponent lightly as they continue their campaign at the WAFU B U-17 Girls Cup in La Côte d’Ivoire.
The Black Maidens have recorded two victories and one defeat in their opening three Group A matches, beating Burkina Faso 4-0 before suffering a defeat against bitter rivals Nigeria.
Ghana responded strongly to the setback against Nigeria, securing another emphatic 4-0 victory over Togo to revive their campaign and strengthen their hopes of progressing to the next stage.
The team will now face Niger in their final group game on Thursday, September 24, with Adarkwah insisting that his players will approach the encounter with the same seriousness they have shown throughout the tournament.
Speaking at the Match Day Four pre-match conference, the Ghana coach said the squad remains in good spirits, particularly because players have been given opportunities to feature during the competition. “After playing our matches, we can see that the players are doing good because everybody here gets the opportunity to play all the matches that we are playing, so they are enjoying the game, so they are okay,” Adarkwah said.
He stressed that Ghana would not relax against Niger despite the team’s previous results, insisting that every match remains important to the Black Maidens.
“We are not going to joke on the field, we are going to play the match, we are going to attach every seriousness in the game like the way we play Togo, the way we play Nigeria, the way we play any team here.”
Joe Nana Adarkwah, Black Maidens Head Coach
Adarkwah Eyes World Cup
Beyond their immediate objective of progressing in the WAFU B competition, Ghana are using the tournament as an important part of their preparations for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, which is scheduled to begin in Morocco in November.
Adarkwah believes the demanding schedule in Côte d’Ivoire is providing the players with valuable exposure to the physical and tactical demands they will face at the global tournament.
“After playing each match, you have to do a recovery session, then the following day, you go to your tactical aspect of what you want to play in the next game, and it’s good for us because going to the World Cup, we are going to use the same days, the same intensity.”
Joe Nana Adarkwah, Black Maidens Head Coach
The coach’s comments underline Ghana’s dual objective at the WAFU B tournament. While the Black Maidens are determined to defend their title, the competition is also being used to sharpen the squad ahead of their World Cup assignment.
Ghana’s preparations were affected by a late start to camping, making the opportunity to play competitive matches particularly significant for the technical team as it assesses the players and fine-tunes its approach.
Black Maidens Skipper Demands Greater Concentration
Black Maidens captain Seidatu Wahab has also called on her teammates to maintain their concentration against Niger, warning against underestimating an opponent based on previous results.
Wahab said the team has studied what Niger can offer and will remain committed to following the instructions of the technical team.
“From what we saw when they played against Togo and scored many goals, we are still not underrating them. We will just play our normal game, go onto the field, listen to our coaches, and do what we have been doing.”
Seidatu Wahab, Black Maidens Captain
The captain also reflected on Ghana’s defeat to Nigeria, describing it as a difficult experience that exposed the consequences of failing to take opportunities when they arise. “The game against Nigeria was a tough one and as the captain, I think we need to take our chances seriously. We were punished, we were really punished,” Wahab said.
She believes the experience can serve as useful preparation for the World Cup, with Ghana determined to learn from the setback rather than allow it to affect their confidence. “So we are going into tomorrow’s game for 90 minutes and we are going to use it [as preparation],” she added.
Ghana will face Niger in their final Group A match as the Black Maidens seek to secure progression while continuing their preparations for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco.
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