BY NADIA NTIAMOAH
Ghana’s Black Maidens Waste Golden Chances Against Brazil as Ghana’s World Cup Hopes Hangs have left themselves with a mountain to climb at the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco after failing to convert several promising opportunities in their dramatic 3-3 draw against Brazil, a result that has intensified the pressure on the team ahead of their decisive final group match against Canada.
While Ghanaian attacker Jessica Appiah earned the Player of the Match award for her impressive performance, the individual recognition could offer only limited consolation for a team that had opportunities to claim all three points but ultimately had to settle for a draw.
The six-goal encounter on Wednesday, October 21, exposed both the attacking potential and the finishing problems of the Ghanaian side. The Black Maidens demonstrated resilience by fighting back after conceding early, but their inability to make the most of their chances could prove costly as their campaign reaches a critical stage.
Brazil struck first in the seventh minute through Nicolly, putting Ghana under immediate pressure. However, the Black Maidens responded positively, with Rafia Osman restoring parity in the 31st minute before Gloria Ameaa scored four minutes later to give Ghana a 2-1 lead.
At that point, Ghana had seized the initiative and appeared capable of taking control of the contest. But Brazil refused to surrender, with Kaillany Rafinah finding the net before halftime to bring the score level and leave both teams facing an open second half.
The match continued at a high tempo after the break, with Ghana creating several opportunities to secure victory. Yet, despite their attacking efforts, the Black Maidens failed to turn enough of those chances into goals, allowing Brazil to escape with a point from a contest Ghana could have won.
Jessica Appiah nevertheless emerged as one of Ghana’s standout performers. Her contribution to the attack, particularly the assist for Ghana’s third goal, helped the team secure a draw in a match that repeatedly threatened to slip away from them.
Her Player of the Match award, announced by Ghana’s women’s national teams, was a deserved personal achievement. But it also underlined the difficult situation facing the squad: individual brilliance must now translate into a collective result if Ghana are to keep their World Cup ambitions alive.
The draw leaves Brazil leading Group C with four points, while Ghana sit at the bottom with just one point from two matches. That position puts the Black Maidens under significant pressure going into their final group fixture.
Ghana will face Canada in what has become a must-win encounter, while Brazil take on Norway. The outcome of the final round will determine whether Ghana can remain in contention for a place in the next stage of the tournament.
