Ghana's Black Maidens went from a 3-0 opening loss to the knockouts, and coach Joe Nana Adarkwa says encouragement and incentives fuelled the turnaround.
Ghana's Black Maidens are into the Round of 16 at the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in Morocco, and coach Joe Nana Adarkwa says a simple recipe of praise and rewards pulled them back from the brink.
The West Africans began Group C with a 3-0 defeat to Norway, a result that put their tournament in serious danger. They answered with a thrilling 3-3 draw against Brazil, then sealed their place in the knockout stage with a 2-0 win over Canada.
Adarkwa says the fight was visible in camp before the Canada game. By his account, the players carried the look of a squad that refused to go home early, and they delivered on that belief. His technical team leaned on encouragement and positive reinforcement, and also provided incentives to lift spirits after the rough start.
The coach explained that his group responds best when they are built up first. In his view, these young players need to hear what they are doing right before any mistakes are addressed. He says the approach has worked, with the squad's spirit now at a high.
Next up is Argentina in the Round of 16, with Ghana hoping to ride that momentum and keep their African World Cup run alive.
