Ghana’s Black Maidens have secured qualification for the Round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup after recording a 2-0 victory over Canada in their final Group C match in Morocco.
The team, coached by Joe Nana Adarkwa, delivered a crucial second-half performance on Saturday, October 24, 2026, to claim all three points and finish second in Group C with four points from three matches.
Ghana entered the encounter knowing that victory was essential to their hopes of reaching the knockout stage after a difficult start to the competition.
The Black Maidens lost their opening match 3-0 to Norway before recovering to draw 3-3 with Brazil, leaving them needing a strong performance against Canada to keep their campaign alive.
Despite creating several opportunities in the first half, Ghana could not find the breakthrough before the interval.
The breakthrough finally arrived in the 64th minute when substitute Linda Achiaa scored with her first touch, just 35 seconds after coming onto the pitch. Her goal followed a sequence involving Hajara Adam and Priscilla Mensah, giving Ghana the lead in the decisive encounter.
The Black Maidens continued to defend their advantage and sealed the victory in the fifth minute of stoppage time when Christiana Ashiaku scored from distance to make it 2-0.
Ghana goalkeeper Belinda Maku Aklie also recorded her first clean sheet of the tournament, helping the team secure a vital result against their North American opponents. Midfielder Seidatu Wahab was named Player of the Match for her performance.
The victory means Ghana finished second in Group C with four points, behind Brazil, who topped the group with seven points. Canada finished third with three points and will have to rely on the qualification rules for the best third-placed teams to determine whether they progress.
The result also marks an important achievement for Ghana on their return to the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup after missing the previous two editions.
The Black Maidens will now face Argentina in the Round of 16 as they seek to continue their impressive recovery and advance further in the competition.
