FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup: Ghana to face Japan in Quarter-final clash on November 1

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.