Black Princesses head coach Charles Sampson insists Ghana’s convincing victory over South Korea has not altered the team’s mission at the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup, saying they must still beat France to reach the knockout stage.
Ghana revived their qualification hopes with an impressive 3-1 win over South Korea after suffering defeat in their opening Group D match, leaving the Black Princesses needing another positive result in their final group fixture.
Sampson said his side remained fully focused on securing qualification and had already begun preparing for their decisive encounter with France.
“Nothing has changed. After losing the first game, we knew that we had to win the next two games to be able to qualify,” he told 3Sports.
“We have already seen them play. So now we are preparing ourselves to focus on areas to be able to beat them and then qualify for the next game.”
The Ghana coach also expressed confidence that his squad could overcome any injury setbacks, stressing that the team’s success is built on collective effort rather than individual brilliance.
“Unfortunately, when it comes to injuries and things, there are things that can go wrong. You just pray and hope that they don’t come your way,” he said.
“This group has been challenged with many different things, and that’s one thing that is our strength. The team is not based on one person’s performance.”
Sampson said the Black Princesses had consistently found solutions throughout their campaign and hoped to avoid further setbacks as they chase a place in the last 16.
“One way or the other, we’ll find a way. But we hope that this time in the World Cup, any upsets won’t come out.”
The Black Princesses will wrap up their group games against France on Saturday, September 12, 2026, at 17:00 local time (15:00 GMT), and the match will take place at the Arena Sosnowiec in Poland.
