Ghana’s Black Princesses have suffered a major setback ahead of the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland, with promising forward Jessica Appiah Asamoah among seven players ruled out of the tournament due to injury.
Head Coach Charles Sampson revealed the extent of Ghana’s injury situation, confirming that the team travelled to Poland without some key players who were expected to contribute to the squad’s campaign.
Appiah Asamoah’s absence comes as a big blow to the Black Princesses, with the forward having emerged as one of Ghana’s brightest young talents.
The attacker has also featured prominently for the Black Maidens, playing an important role in Ghana’s qualification campaign for the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco. The tournament will be staged from October 17 to November 7, 2026, and Ghana will be hoping to have her available for the global competition if she makes a full recovery.
Alongside Appiah Asamoah, goalkeeper Asana Osman, Grace Andoh and Jenna Kayla Sarpong have also been ruled out, while Mercy Attobrah, Mary Amponsah and Captain Linda Owusu Ansah complete the list of unavailable players.
The injury crisis presents a difficult challenge for Coach Charles Sampson as Ghana prepares for their eighth consecutive appearance at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.
The Black Princesses will begin their Group C campaign against Ecuador on Sunday, September 6, at the Arena Sosnowiec before facing Korea Republic on September 9 and France on September 12. All three matches are scheduled for 16:00 GMT.
Ghana will be aiming to make history in Poland by progressing beyond the group stage for the first time in their eighth appearance at the tournament.
While the absence of key players is a setback, the Black Princesses technical team will now look to the available squad members to step up as Ghana prepares for another global challenge.
