Ghana’s Black Maidens secured their first point at the ongoing FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco after battling to an entertaining 3-3 draw against Brazil in their second Group C match.
The result keeps Ghana’s hopes of reaching the knockout stage alive following their opening-day defeat to Norway, although they will need a victory in their final group fixture against Canada to strengthen their chances of progressing.
The Black Maidens endured an early setback when Nicolly put Brazil ahead in the seventh minute, handing the South Americans the initiative in the opening stages.
Ghana responded positively and drew level after half an hour through Rafia Osman, who produced a superb finish to restore parity and give the 2012 bronze medalists renewed belief.
The comeback gathered momentum when Gloria Ameaa capitalised on a pass from Cynthia Obinsrewuo to put Ghana ahead for the first time in the contest, completing an impressive turnaround.
However, Brazil struck back just before the interval, with Kaillani Ranifah finding the equaliser a minute before half-time to ensure the sides went into the break level at 2-2.
Ghana returned from the interval looking to regain the lead, but Brazil moved ahead again 12 minutes into the second half when Indy found the net following an assist from Gigi Pires, leaving the Maidens facing another challenge.
Statistics Show Ghana’s Dominance
Despite falling behind for the third time, Ghana continued to push forward in search of an equaliser and eventually found their reward five minutes from full-time.
Priscilla Mensah delivered the crucial breakthrough, finishing off Ghana’s sustained pressure to make it 3-3 and set up a tense closing period in which both sides had to settle for a share of the spoils.
The statistics reflected Ghana’s attacking dominance, with the Maidens registering 29 shots against Brazil’s 13. Ghana also recorded 10 shots on target, twice Brazil’s five, while producing 12 attempts off target compared with the South Americans’ four.
The African side further enjoyed an advantage in expected goals, recording 3.77 against Brazil’s 2.47, while their expected goals on target stood at 3.63 compared with Brazil’s 2.89.
Ghana also registered seven blocked shots to Brazil’s four and hit the woodwork once, underlining the number of opportunities they created throughout the encounter.
The Maidens recorded 14 shots inside the penalty area, compared with Brazil’s 10, and attempted 15 shots from outside the box, while their opponents managed just three from distance.
However, Brazil proved more effective and efficient with their aerial opportunities, scoring twice with headers.
Although Ghana dominated several of the key attacking statistics and created enough chances to claim all three points, they could not find a fourth goal to complete the comeback.
Their inability to convert their superiority into a winning goal leaves them with work to do in the final round of group matches.
Canada Clash Becomes Crucial
The draw leaves Ghana at the bottom of Group C with one point from two matches, putting pressure on the Black Maidens ahead of their final encounter against Canada.
Brazil lead the group with four points, while Canada revived their campaign with a 3-2 victory over Norway after suffering a heavy 6-2 defeat to Brazil in their opening match.
The result has tightened the contest for progression, with Ghana needing to deliver a strong performance in their final fixture while keeping an eye on the other results in the group.
For the Black Maidens, the performance against Brazil offers encouragement, particularly given their ability to recover from falling behind three times and their clear advantage in shot production.
However, their attacking efficiency and defensive concentration will be critical against Canada, as another result short of victory could leave their qualification hopes dependent on the final group standings.
Ghana will therefore approach their last Group C match knowing that victory is essential to give themselves a realistic chance of reaching the knockout stage on their return to the global tournament after a lengthy absence.
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