Black Princesses head coach Charles Sampson has pointed to a lack of composure in the final third as the primary reason his side failed to secure a victory against South Africa in their 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup qualifying clash.
Despite a dominant performance at the Accra Sports Stadium on Sunday, the Ghanaian U-20 female national team was held to a 2-2 draw, leaving the third-round tie wide open ahead of the return leg.
Ghana took the lead twice during the encounter, with Agnes Yeboah and Linda Owusu Ansah finding the back of the net. However, the scoreline failed to reflect the Princesses’ territorial advantage, as a string of missed opportunities kept the visitors in the game.
Speaking to the press after the match, Coach Sampson praised his team’s tactical execution but lamented their finishing.
“Our aim was to win this game and get goals. We dominated the game, which was part of our plan,” Sampson said. “We created chances, but I think what we lacked was the calmness to convert those chances into goals.”
Controversy at the Death
The match was not without drama. Late in the game, the Black Princesses appeared to have snatched a winning goal, only for the strike to be ruled out for offside a decision Sampson labeled as “questionable.”
“We scored the third goal that I think was questionable because we played the ball to the line and cut it inside,” the coach remarked, suggesting the attacker was behind the ball at the moment of the pass.
The Road Ahead
The draw sets up a high-stakes second leg in South Africa. The Black Princesses must now secure an away win or a high-scoring draw to advance to the final qualifying round.
Path to the World Cup:
Next Hurdle: South Africa (Away Leg)
Potential Final Round Opponents: The winner of the Zambia vs. Uganda fixture.
With the 2026 World Cup in sight, Sampson’s technical team will be under pressure to sharpen the squad’s finishing boots before they fly out for the reverse fixture.
