Black Princesses head coach Charles Sampson has expressed strong confidence that Ghana will secure qualification for the 2026 U-20 Women’s World Cup, insisting his team is well-prepared for the decisive second leg against Uganda.
Ghana travel to Kadiba holding a 2-1 advantage from the first leg, which was played at the Accra Sports Stadium last Sunday. The winner over the two legs will book a place at the tournament set to be staged in Poland later this year.
Speaking ahead of the crucial encounter, Sampson maintained that belief within the camp remains high, stressing that the team has worked towards this moment for a long time.
“I have no doubt [that we will qualify]. We started this journey long ago, and then we had a discussion; the president [of the Ghana Football Association] also came to visit us. So we are with the right mindset going to Uganda,” he told Joy Sports.
He emphasized that discipline, intensity, and physical readiness will be key factors in handling the challenge away from home.
“We are going with the mindset of total discipline, total work rate that is beyond normal because we know that we will need that. We know that there is an altitude problem in Uganda compared to us, so we are doing everything we can through the medical team so that we will be ready and have enough energy or condition to be able to deal with it,” he said.
Sampson also appealed for continued support from Ghanaians as the team looks to complete the job and extend their impressive record of World Cup appearances.
“The message is for them to still believe in us and keep us in their prayers, and then we will go and do our utmost best to make the nation and ourselves proud.”
He added a confident note about the outcome of the tie, expressing his expectations clearly.
“I’m expecting us to get our ticket to Poland in Uganda, and when we come back, I’m expecting a euphoria because the girls deserve that,” he added.
The Black Princesses are aiming to qualify for their eighth consecutive U-20 Women’s World Cup, having featured in every edition over the last seven tournaments.
