Ghana U17 female coach Joe Nana Adarkwa has expressed pride in his players’ efforts despite their 1-0 defeat to Japan in the quarter-finals of the 2026 FIFA U17 Women World Cup in Morocco.
This ends the campaign of the Black Maidens who were seeking to better the semi-final berth of the 2012 team in Azerbaijan.
Adarkwa was keen to highlight the determination and commitment shown by his team throughout the tournament.
“We did our best, but we’re happy at the end of the journey. We didn’t give up. We’re proud of ourselves, and I’m proud of that,” he said.
Adarkwa has now challenged his players to return home, work harder and build on their experience as they look ahead to future competitions.
“We go back home, work harder and see what happens. We’ll be here next year,” he added.
