Black Maidens head coach Joe Nana Adarkwa says Ghana is targeting its first FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup title as the team prepares to face Argentina in the Round of 16 on Wednesday, October 28.
Ghana take on the Albicelestes in Salé, Morocco, with a place in the quarter-finals at stake.
Round of 16 action! ⚽️🏆
🇦🇷 vs 🇬🇭.
📍 Mohammed VI Football Complex
📅 October 28, 2026.
⏰ 3:00pm
#ShineBlackMaidens✨
#U17WWC https://t.co/Al3XAKwEeE— Ghana Women National Teams 🇬🇭 (@GhanaWNT) October 27, 2026
Argentina are making their debut at the tournament. They finished second in their group with six points after winning two matches and losing one.
Ghana, meanwhile, have considerably more experience, having featured at the tournament several times since the Black Maidens’ debut in 2008.
Their best performance came in 2012, when they won bronze under former coach Mas-ud Didi Dramani. After losing to France in the semi-finals, Ghana beat Germany in the third-place playoff to secure their only podium finish.
The Black Maidens have also reached the quarter-finals in 2014, 2016 and 2018, but missed subsequent editions before returning to the global stage in 2026.
Speaking exclusively to Citi Sports on Tuesday, October 27, Joe Nana Adarkwa said his players had regrouped mentally following their defeat to Canada and were ready to respond against Argentina.
“We all saw what happened against Canada, so going forward, they have psyched themselves in terms of motivation, and I know they will deliver against Argentina,” he said.
The coach said advancing beyond the group stage had been their initial target, but their ambition had now shifted to winning the tournament.
“When we were coming to this World Cup, our first target was to cross the group stage. Now that we’ve done that, we want to push Argentina to one side and keep going. So our target right now is to go for the glory and nothing else.”
Black Maidens must beat Argentina to reach the quarter-finals and keep their hopes of a maiden U-17 Women’s World Cup title alive.
📸: Shots from our recovery session today!
#ShineBlackMaidens✨
#U17WWC https://t.co/aqW3wbdDHz— Ghana Women National Teams 🇬🇭 (@GhanaWNT) October 26, 2026
