For the seventh time, Ghana’s Black Princesses have been eliminated from the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup in the group stage despite defeating New Zealand 3:1 in Group E.
The Black Princesses had a chance to advance to the next round as one of the best third-place finishers, but Argentina’s victory earlier in the day eliminated both New Zealand and Ghana from contention for the knockout stage, making the match inconsequential.
Losses to Austria and Japan prevented Ghana from reaching the knockout stage for the first time in their history.
Beline Nyarkoh had a chance earlier in the 15th minute, but her attempt was blocked and resulted in a corner kick. Ghana was denied the lead in the 23rd minute when Salamatu Abdullai’s solo run at goal was ruled out for offside.
Ghana took the lead in the 59th minute when Salamatu Abdulai scored from Wasiima Mohammed’s corner kick. Nevertheless, a defensive error gave New Zealand the equalizer in the 63rd minute.
There were moments of missed opportunities for Ghana. Ghana missed out on taking the lead when Jennifer Owusuwaa failed to score with a header. The impressive Stella Nyamekye’s cross led to Ghana’s second goal, as Abdulai Salamatu connected with a looping header.
The final moments of the match were crucial. Tracey Twum subbed in for Jennifer Owusuwaa, who scored the third goal in the 94th minute, helping Ghana finish the group in third place with a 3-1 victory and 3 points, while New Zealand ended at the bottom with three consecutive losses.