Ghana’s return to the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup began badly in Morocco, with tougher Group C tests against Brazil and Canada still ahead.
Ghana's Black Maidens, the national under-17 women's football team, lost 3-0 to Norway on Sunday in their opening match of the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup at the Mohammed VI Football Complex in Morocco.
It was a hard way to mark a return. Ghana did not qualify for the last edition of the tournament, so this was the team's first appearance in the competition in some time.
How the goals came
Norway took the lead through Isabella Lepore, who struck from roughly 30 yards. The ball hit the underside of the crossbar and dropped over the line.
The second came from a build-up involving Hanne Nesse, who played in Maia Melgard just outside the 18-yard box. Melgard moved the ball onto her left foot and curled it past the Ghanaian goalkeeper.
Melgard added her second midway through the second half. The Ghana Report reports that the goal came from a worked corner routine, with the Norwegian forward cutting inside before firing beyond goalkeeper Belinda Manu Aklie.
Ghana's best chance
The Maidens, coached by Joe Nana Adarkwa, pushed forward more after the interval and came close through substitute Cynthia Obinsrewuo. Norwegian goalkeeper Erla Braathen made the save that kept the scoreline at 2-0 at that point.
That was as near as Ghana got. The team struggled for long stretches to hold back a Norwegian side that looked sharper in the final third.
What it means for Group C
The result puts Ghana under immediate pressure. Two fixtures remain in Group C: Brazil and Canada. Both are serious opponents at youth level, and with a three-goal defeat already on the record, goal difference could matter as much as points if the group goes down to the wire.
For Ghanaian fans following from the United States and elsewhere abroad, the schedule is the thing to watch now. The Black Maidens have historically been one of Ghana's more reliable performers at youth world tournaments, and a single bad night does not end a campaign. But the team will need a result against either Brazil or Canada to stay in contention for a place in the next round.
The tournament is being hosted in Morocco, which continues a run of major continental and global football events on African soil. For Ghana, the short travel distance compared to past editions in Asia and Latin America was expected to be an advantage.
Ghana's next match in the group has not been detailed here beyond the opponents. Fans should check official FIFA listings for kick-off times, which will fall in the early afternoon for viewers in Ghana and the morning for those on the US East Coast.