U20 Women's World Cup qualifiers: Black Princesses coach Charles Sampson vows to secure win in South Africa

Black Princesses head coach Charles Sampson has challenged his team to produce a decisive performance in South Africa after a dramatic 2-2 draw in the first leg of the 2026 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup qualifiers.

Sunday’s encounter at the Accra Sports Stadium ended in a thrilling stalemate, leaving Ghana with work to do ahead of the return leg in Johannesburg.

The draw, while entertaining, leaves the Black Princesses needing a victory on South African soil to progress to the final round of qualification. Sampson, however, remains optimistic, insisting his players have the quality and determination to achieve the task.

“Our aim is to qualify, and thankfully, the games are not only one. We have another game and this is only the first half of it,” Sampson said after the match.

“They came here and got, maybe, what they wanted. Now, we have to go there and get what we want to be able to go further. We will do everything we can and make sure we go to Johannesburg and qualify to the next round.”

The result in South Africa will determine whether the Black Princesses advance to the final stage of qualification, where a clash with either Zambia or Uganda awaits.

With the second leg approaching, all eyes will be on Sampson and his players to see if they can turn the tie in their favour and keep Ghana’s hopes of a U20 Women’s World Cup berth alive.