Black Princesses coach blames World Cup qualifying stalemate on wastefulness

Head coach Charles Sampson did not hide his disappointment after the Black Princesses were left ruing a host of missed opportunities on Saturday, playing out a frustrating 0–0 draw with South Africa in the first leg of their FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup qualifier at home.

He pointed squarely at his team’s lack of cutting edge in front of goal as the reason they failed to secure a vital first-leg advantage.

“Our aim was to get goals,” Sampson stated in his post-match interview. “We dominated the game; that was also one of our plans. We created chances. I think what we lacked today is the calmness to convert the chances into goals.”

Despite controlling large stretches of the game and creating clear openings, the Ghanaian attack repeatedly faltered at the final moment, letting a disciplined South African side off the hook.

The result was welcomed with open arms by the visitors. South Africa's head coach, Maude Kumalo, labelled the away draw a “positive result”, affirming that her team executed their defensive game plan and will back themselves to clinch qualification in the return leg on home soil.

For Sampson, the pressure now intensifies ahead of the decisive second leg. His mission is clear: guide the Black Princesses to the World Cup for the first time under his leadership and, in doing so, preserve Ghana’s proud qualifying streak.

The national U-20 women’s team has qualified for every edition of the tournament since their debut in 2010—a record that now hangs in the balance.

All will be decided when the two sides meet again in South Africa, with Ghana needing nothing less than a goal-scoring response to keep their World Cup dreams—and their perfect qualification record—alive.