Black Princesses head coach Yussif Basigi expressed his disappointment over his team’s missed chances following their 2-1 defeat to Austria in their opening match of the 2024 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup on Monday.
Ghana conceded a goal in each half, falling behind 2-0 before Stella Nyamekye managed to pull one back in the 91st minute. Despite the late effort, the Black Princesses were unable to avoid defeat against the tournament debutants.
Speaking after the match, Basigi highlighted his team’s failure to capitalize on their scoring opportunities as a key factor in the loss.
“We started the game slowly, but towards the end of the first half, we began to pick up our game. In the second half, we dominated play even after going down by a goal,” Basigi said. “Unfortunately, we didn’t convert many of our goal-scoring chances, which was crucial. We need to refine our finishing to get back into contention.”
Basigi praised the team’s second-half performance but acknowledged that a stronger start would have made a significant difference.
“Our second-half performance was very good. If we had started the first half with the same intensity, the outcome could have been different. We were slow off the mark, and that’s something we need to address.”
Despite the setback, Basigi remains focused on improving his team’s performance. He emphasized the importance of maximizing their opportunities in the remaining group stage matches.
“I won’t say there’s no pressure because if we had won or drawn this game against Austria, it would have given us a boost. But now, we have no option but to go all out in the remaining two games,” he added.
The Black Princesses will face Japan in their second Group E match on Thursday, September 5, 2024, as they aim to secure their first points of the tournament.
