Ghana’s Black Maidens suffered a 3-0 defeat to China in an international friendly at the Stade Hay Moulay Rachid in Casablanca on Tuesday, October 6.

China took the lead in the first half before adding two more goals after the break to complete the victory.

The friendly formed part of Ghana’s preparations for the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, with the Black Maidens currently based in Morocco for an intensive training camp ahead of the tournament.

Despite the defeat, the game provided the technical team with another opportunity to assess the squad and fine-tune preparations before the global tournament.

Ghana are drawn in Group C alongside Norway, Brazil and Canada at the World Cup which is scheduled to take place from October 17 to November 7 in Morocco.

Ghana’s Black Maidens have touched down in Morocco, marking the start of a crucial phase in their preparations for the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.

The Ghana U-17 women’s national team arrived in Casablanca on Monday with a 35-member delegation made up of 21 players and 14 officials, as head coach Nana Joe Adarkwa and his technical team begin a two-week training camp.

With the World Cup now fast approaching, the Casablanca camp will give the Black Maidens valuable time to sharpen their tactical approach, build cohesion and adapt to their surroundings before the global tournament.

As part of the Morocco camp, Ghana are also scheduled to face China in an international friendly, providing the technical team with an important opportunity to assess the squad against international opposition and make further adjustments ahead of the World Cup.

The friendly will form part of Ghana’s final preparations as the Black Maidens look to build momentum before the tournament begins.

Ghana face a demanding assignment at the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, having been drawn in Group C alongside Norway, Brazil and Canada.

The Black Maidens will therefore need to make the most of their time in Morocco as they prepare to face three highly competitive sides on the world stage.

Ghana’s return to the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup carries added significance after the Black Maidens missed the previous two editions.

Their place at Morocco 2026 was secured dramatically against Senegal. After the two-legged qualification tie ended 2-2 on aggregate, Ghana prevailed 7-6 on penalties in Accra to book their return to the global tournament.

Now in Morocco, the focus shifts from qualification to preparation.

The Black Maidens will be hoping the intensive Casablanca camp provides the foundation needed to make a strong impression when the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup gets underway.

Ghana’s Black Maidens ended their WAFU-B U17 Girls Cup campaign on a high note after recording a commanding 4-0 victory over hosts Côte d’Ivoire in their final match of the tournament.

The win capped an impressive campaign for Ghana, who finished second on the final standings with 12 points after winning four of their five matches. The Black Maidens’ only defeat came against eventual champions Nigeria, who secured a 4-2 victory in their second game and went on to finish top with a perfect 15 points after winning all five matches.

Ghana began the competition with a dominant 4-0 win over Burkina Faso before suffering their only setback against Nigeria. The Black Maidens responded strongly with victories over Togo, Niger and Côte d’Ivoire to complete their campaign with four wins.

Against Côte d’Ivoire, goalkeeper Belinda Maku Aklie started in post as Ghana delivered a dominant display.

Captain Seidatu Wahab opened the scoring in the 14th minute after reacting quickest to convert the rebound following her penalty kick being saved by the Côte d’Ivoire goalkeeper. The goal took Wahab’s tournament tally to five goals.

Gloria Adomako Ameaa doubled Ghana’s advantage in the 31st minute before adding another in the 80th minute after an assist from Philipa Asana Mannebe, taking her own tally to five goals in the competition.

Cynthia Obinserwuo completed the scoring in the 88th minute to seal a convincing victory for the Black Maidens.

As part of an innovation introduced for the final matchday, all matches were followed by penalty shootouts regardless of the final results, with the exercise aimed at helping players gain more confidence and experience in penalty situations. Côte d’Ivoire won the shootout against Ghana 5-3.

The WAFU-B U17 Girls Cup provided valuable preparation for Ghana ahead of the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco, giving the technical team the opportunity to assess the squad, test players against strong regional opposition and build momentum ahead of the global tournament.

With captain Seidatu Wahab and Gloria Adomako Ameaa finishing among the competition’s leading scorers with five goals each, the Black Maidens will now turn their attention to the next phase of their preparations for the World Cup.

Ghana’s Black Maidens have been drawn in Group B of the 2027 U-17 Girls Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, where they will face Nigeria, Togo and Niger.

The competition, which also serves as the WAFU Zone B U-17 Girls Championship, will be hosted by Côte d’Ivoire and begins on September 15, 2026.

The Black Maidens face a challenging group, with Nigeria expected to provide their toughest test as the four teams battle for progression and a place in the next stage of the 2027 U-17 AFCON qualification process.

Ghana will enter the competition while also preparing for the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco, scheduled to take place from October 17 to November 7, 2026.

The tournament will therefore provide another important test for the Black Maidens as preparations continue ahead of the global competition.

Meanwhile, Ghana’s Black Starlets have also been drawn in Group A of the boys’ 2027 U-17 AFCON/WAFU Zone B qualifiers alongside hosts Burkina Faso, Benin and Togo.

The boys’ competition is scheduled to kick off on October 10, 2026, in Ouagadougou, with the Black Starlets aiming to progress to the 2027 U-17 AFCON.