Head coach of Ghana women's national under-20 Charles Sampson says qualifying for the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup is a huge achievement for his team.
The Black Princesses booked their place at the tournament after a 1-1 draw against Uganda in Kampala over the weekend.
Linda Owusu Ansah scored Ghana’s equaliser in the 78th minute to secure qualification.
The result handed Ghana a 3-2 aggregate victory after the Black Princesses won the first leg 2-1 at the Accra Sports Stadium.
Speaking to the media after the team arrived in Accra on Monday, Sampson shared his joy over the achievement.
“The feeling is indescribable and overwhelming. You can see how happy the girls are. We are so proud of them. This is what we were out for, and we got what we wanted, so we are very excited,” he said.
The coach explained that qualifying for the World Cup was the team’s first target, but attention has now shifted to performing well at the tournament.
“We have two obligations from the FA; the first was to qualify, and the next one is to do well at the World Cup. So now, our intention has turned to how to prepare the team and do well at the World Cup.”
Sampson also praised his players for believing in the team’s plans throughout the campaign.
“I was always confident, and I trusted the girls. They believed in the concept that we had from the beginning, so I knew we would go far with it.”
Ghana will now prepare for the tournament in Poland in September, where the Black Princesses hope to become the first Ghanaian side to reach the knockout stage of the competition.
By: Pascal Amoah
