Joe Nana Adarkwa proud as Black Maidens reach FIFA U-17 Womenâ??s World Cup last 16

Joe Nana Adarkwa says his Black Maidens players made him “extremely proud” after their 2-0 victory over Canada secured a place in the Round of 16 at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.

The result delivered the target the Ghanaian side had set before the match and brought a sense of celebration to the team’s camp, according to head coach Adarkwa.

“We are happy. You can see on the front; the girls are happy. As a coach, I'm very, very happy and they made us proud, they made us extremely proud,” Adarkwa said after the match.

The Black Maidens had needed a positive result against Canada to progress and produced a victory that completed their group-stage campaign with four points.

They began the tournament with a 0-3 defeat by Norway before drawing 3-3 with Brazil. The win against Canada confirmed their qualification for the knockout stage.

Adarkwa said the result reflected the plan his team had taken into the game.

“So, we are very, very happy. We came here purposely for a win. We came purposely for a win and lo and behold, it happened. So, this is what we planned for.”

The coach also praised his technical staff, highlighting the effect of the changes made after half-time.

He believes the substitutions helped alter the course of the match and contributed to the team securing the victory it required.

“At least the second half, our changes were wonderful. Our changes, we did well. I'm proud of myself and my technical team.”

The Black Maidens will now turn their attention to a Round of 16 meeting with Argentina on October 28.

Adarkwa acknowledged that the challenge would become more demanding as the tournament progressed, although he said preparations for the next match would begin with that expectation in mind.

“Going forward, I know we are heading to difficult times. We are going to face tougher opposition, and we are going to work towards that,” he concluded.

The 2-0 win over Canada means the Black Maidens advance from the group with one victory, one draw and one defeat, having scored five goals and conceded six across their three matches.

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