Black Princesses head coach Yussif Basigi has turned his attention to the remaining Group E matches after Ghana's narrow 2-1 loss to Austria in their opening game of the 2024 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup.
The defeat puts added pressure on the team as they prepare to face Japan on Thursday, followed by a crucial final group stage match against New Zealand.
Reflecting on the loss, Basigi admitted that his team started the game slowly, which ultimately cost them. However, he remains optimistic about their chances in the upcoming fixtures.
"We started the game slowly, and towards the end of the first half, we began to improve our play. In the second half, we dominated after going down by a goal," Basigi said. "Unfortunately, we didn't capitalize on our goal-scoring opportunities. This is something we need to refine to get back into contention."
Basigi acknowledged the solid second-half performance but stressed the importance of starting strong in future games. "If we had played the first half like we did in the second, it would have been a different story. We need to work on that."
Despite the setback, Basigi is motivated to lead his team to a strong finish in the group stage. He emphasized the importance of using their experience and skills to bounce back and secure a spot in the knockout rounds for the first time.
"There is definitely pressure now. A win or draw against Austria would have boosted our confidence, but now we have no choice but to go all out in the remaining two games," Basigi added.
The Black Princesses are determined to make a statement in their next match against Japan, as they aim to keep their World Cup hopes alive.
