Ghana’s Black Maidens are set for a challenging quarter-final encounter against Japan at the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, with both sides eyeing a place in the semi-finals when they meet on Sunday, November 1.

Japan, popularly known as the Little Nadeshiko, have enjoyed an impressive campaign in Morocco, winning all three of their Group D matches to finish top with nine points.

The Asian side began their group-stage campaign with a commanding 5-0 victory over Zambia before recording a 2-0 win against France. They completed their group assignments with another 2-0 triumph over Venezuela, finishing with a perfect record of three wins from three matches.

Japan’s performances have once again demonstrated their quality and consistency at youth level, with the team carrying a rich history in the competition.

The Little Nadeshiko have appeared in every edition of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup since its introduction in 2008, making the ongoing tournament their tenth appearance. They are among the few nations to have maintained a presence at every edition.

Their record includes a historic title triumph in 2014, alongside runner-up finishes in 2010 and 2016. On six occasions — 2008, 2012, 2018, 2022, 2024 and 2025 — Japan have reached the quarter-finals but failed to progress to the last four.

For Ghana, the meeting presents another opportunity to make a statement on their return to the global stage after missing the previous edition.

The Black Maidens are making their first appearance at the tournament since 2018, when they reached the quarter-finals. Ghana’s best performance remains their bronze-medal finish in 2012, while their subsequent appearances in 2014, 2016 and 2018 also ended at the quarter-final stage.

After an absence from the competition, the team will be determined to make their return count by going beyond the last eight and securing a place in the semi-finals for the first time.

Ghana’s journey to this stage has required resilience. The Black Maidens opened their Group C campaign with a 3-0 defeat to Norway before playing out an entertaining 3-3 draw against Brazil. They revived their qualification hopes with a crucial 2-0 victory over Canada to progress to the knockout stage.

Their Round of 16 encounter against Argentina proved to be another stern test. After playing out a 1-1 draw, Ghana held their nerve to win 5-4 on penalties and book their place in the quarter-finals.

With Japan’s pedigree and Ghana’s determination to progress beyond the quarter-final stage, Sunday’s encounter promises to be a fascinating contest.

For the Black Maidens, the mission is to rise to the occasion, overcome one of the most established teams in the competition and take another important step towards adding to Ghana’s history at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.

Ghana’s National U-15 Boys team, the Black Comets, have secured a place in the quarter-finals of the FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival in Azerbaijan after recording an emphatic 5-2 victory over Mexico on Wednesday, October 28, 2026.

Shamsudeen Sulemana delivered a remarkable performance, scoring four goals to lead Ghana to victory, while Abdul Aziz Issah also found the back of the net to complete an impressive attacking display.

The Black Comets continued their winning run despite playing two matches on the same day. Ghana had earlier defeated Korea Republic 2-1 in the Round of 32 before producing another strong performance to overcome Mexico in the Round of 16.

The victory extends Ghana’s unbeaten winning streak in the tournament to seven matches, underlining the team’s impressive form and attacking strength.

Ghana began their campaign with a 4-1 win over Uzbekistan before recording convincing victories against Myanmar, Guam and the Bahamas. They followed those results with a 2-1 victory over Kazakhstan to complete the group stage with a perfect record.

The young side then eliminated Korea Republic before dispatching Mexico to move into the last eight.

With seven consecutive victories behind them, the Black Comets will now await their quarter-final opponents as they continue their pursuit of glory in Azerbaijan.

Sulemana’s four-goal performance against Mexico will be a major highlight of Ghana’s campaign, as the team looks to maintain its momentum in the knockout stages.

Ghana’s Jessica Appiah Asamoah has received her second Player of the Match award after scoring her first-ever goal at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in the Black Maidens’ encounter against Argentina.

The young forward opened the scoring in the 16th minute, marking a memorable milestone on the world stage as Ghana took an early lead against the South Americans.

Her impressive performance earned her the Player of the Match recognition, adding to her growing list of individual achievements at the tournament.

The match ended 1-1 after regulation time, with Argentina equalising in the 86th minute. Ghana eventually prevailed 5-4 in the penalty shootout, with Jessica converting the decisive spot kick to send the Black Maidens through to the next round.

Scoring her maiden World Cup goal and securing her second Player of the Match award marks another important step in Jessica’s development as she continues to make her mark on the international stage.

Ghana’s Black Maidens booked their place in the next round after beating Argentina 5-4 on penalties following a 1-1 draw in regulation time, with Jessica Appiah Asamoah converting the decisive spot kick.

Jessica Appiah Asamoah gave Ghana the lead in the 16th minute, putting the Black Maidens in front in a closely contested encounter.

Ghana thought they had doubled their advantage in the 50th minute when Cynthia Obinsrewuo found the net, but the goal was ruled out for offside. She was substituted two minutes later, with Priscilla Mensah coming on in her place.

The Black Maidens suffered a setback in the 72nd minute when captain Seidatu Wahab was forced off through injury, making way for Belinda Kpentey.

Ghana’s challenge became more difficult in the 77th minute when Hajara Adam received a red card after picking up her second yellow card of the match, leaving the team to continue with ten players.

Argentina capitalised late in the game, drawing level in the 86th minute through Diz. The equaliser followed a free-kick situation after substitute Zeinab Shani fouled an Argentine player shortly after coming on, earning herself a yellow card.

Despite the late setback and numerical disadvantage, Ghana held on through 9 minutes and 10 minutes of added time before the match proceeded to a penalty shootout.

The Black Maidens held their nerve from the spot to secure a 5-4 victory. Essenam converted Ghana’s first penalty, followed by Christiana Ashiaku, while captain Osman scored the third. Juliana Gyekyewaa converted the fourth before Jessica Appiah Asamoah stepped up to score the decisive kick and seal Ghana’s victory.

Goalkeeper Belinda Maku Aklie was also instrumental in keeping Ghana in the contest, producing several important saves during the match before conceding Argentina’s equaliser. She continued to make crucial interventions to help keep the Black Maidens in contention.

The victory sends Ghana through to the next round, where they will face either Japan or Kenya, depending on the outcome of their match.

For the Black Maidens, it was a test of resilience, composure and determination as they overcame a late equaliser, a red card and the pressure of a penalty shootout to keep their campaign alive.