Down to 10 players and pegged back late, Ghana's U17 stars held their nerve as Jessica Appiah buried the winning spot-kick in Morocco.
Ghana's Black Maidens are into the quarter-finals of the FIFA U17 Women's World Cup in Morocco, and they got there the hard way. Jessica Appiah smashed home the decisive penalty in a 5-4 shootout win over Argentina, capping a night of grit, drama and plenty of heartstopping moments.
Appiah had already put Ghana ahead early on, reacting sharply to a squared ball from Cynthia Obinsrewuo inside the box. But the Black Maidens were forced to play a man down after a red card, and the pressure built. Right at the end of regulation time, Mercedes Diz rose to meet a looping free-kick and powered a superb header over goalkeeper Belinda Maku Aklie to level the match.
The shootout then came down to nerve. Argentina missed their fifth attempt, leaving Appiah to step up and finish the job for Ghana. She did not flinch.
Coach Joe Nana Adarkwa was overflowing with praise afterward, joking that he had lost his voice from celebrating. He pointed out that Appiah also scored the final penalty in the qualifying clash against Senegal that booked Ghana's place at the tournament. "Jessica is a world-class player," he said. Adarkwa also credited his squad's discipline, noting that when you are playing 10 against 11, tactical focus is the difference between going home and moving on. Ghana listened, executed, and now march on to the last eight.
