Ghana defender Alexandra Tay says reaching the knockout stage of the FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup would “mean everything” as the Black Princesses chase a historic first qualification to the last 16.
The Black Princesses recovered from a disappointing 3-0 defeat by Ecuador in their opening Group C match with an impressive 3-1 victory over South Korea, leaving their fate in their own hands ahead of their final group game against France.
Victory over the Europeans would secure Ghana’s first-ever place in the knockout rounds despite the country’s long history of appearances at the tournament.
“It would mean everything,” Tay told FIFA.
“We have a lot of people from our federation that have come to support us, and we know that they are expecting that from us.
“I think this is a group that is hungry to do that. It’s been 16 years that we’ve been in this competition, and we haven’t done it, and it’s something that we’re looking to do now.”
Tay credited the team’s resilience after the opening defeat to a culture built on encouragement and constructive communication.
“This team, in terms of the team culture, has always been really strong,” she said.
“From our coaches, the mantra is communication always, but it’s positive communication and it’s never negative communication, so we know how to be constructive as well. We try to encourage each other and lift each other up.”
Ghana face France at Arena Sosnowiec, with kick-off scheduled for 16:00 GMT, knowing a win would secure a landmark place in the Round of 16.
