Former Ghana captain Asamoah Gyan has urged the Black Princesses to keep believing in themselves after their FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup campaign ended with another group-stage exit.
Ghana’s hopes of reaching the knockout rounds were dashed on Sunday after a 4-0 defeat by France, condemning the Black Princesses to an eighth successive group-stage elimination at the tournament.
Charles Sampson’s side entered their final Group C fixture knowing that only victory would be enough to keep their World Cup dream alive, but they were outclassed by the European side.
After the match, Gyan, who now serves as an ambassador for Ghana’s national teams, addressed the players with an emotional message, encouraging them to view the disappointment as motivation rather than defeat.
“Sometimes, you don’t get what you want,” he told the squad.
“You always have your wishes, but not every wish that you make comes true.”
The former Black Stars striker, Ghana’s all-time leading scorer, urged the players to embrace setbacks as part of their development.
“Whatever has happened today, we should take it in good faith and move on in life. That is how you challenge yourself,” he said.
“In life, you challenge yourself when things go wrong, not when things get better. When things go wrong, that is when you challenge yourself and ask yourself, ‘What am I going to do next?'”
Gyan also sought to reassure the young players that the tournament would not define their careers, reminding them that greater opportunities could still lie ahead.
“There are more opportunities,” he added.
“I know some of you will be asking yourselves, ‘Where do we go from here? What are we going to do?’ But I can assure you that nobody knows tomorrow. Just have faith in yourself, keep on doing your training and keep your faith high.”
The Black Princesses are expected to return to Ghana in the coming days as the tournament moves into its knockout phase.
