Ghana's Black Maidens fall to Japan in the quarter-finals, but coach Joe Nana Adarkwa says the pride and the plan to return stronger remain.
Ghana's Black Maidens have crashed out of the FIFA U17 Women's World Cup in Morocco, losing 1-0 to Japan in the quarter-finals and falling short of matching the country's best run on the global stage.
The young Ghanaians were chasing a place in the last four, hoping to improve on the semi-final finish of the 2012 side in Azerbaijan. That generation remains the standard for Ghana's youth women's football, and this group came agonisingly close to joining it before Japan's single goal ended the dream.
Head coach Joe Nana Adarkwa refused to dwell on the result and praised the fight and commitment his players showed throughout the tournament. He said the squad gave everything, never dropped their heads, and that he is proud of what they achieved together.
Looking ahead, Adarkwa urged the team to go home, put in more work and use this World Cup experience as fuel. His message was clear: Ghana plans to be back on this stage, and these Black Maidens intend to be part of the next chapter.
