Ghana’s Black Maidens have booked their place at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup after a dramatic 7-6 penalty shootout victory over Senegal at the Accra Sports Stadium, following a hard-fought 1-1 draw after regulation time.
With a World Cup ticket on the line, the contest got off to a difficult start for the hosts as Senegal stunned the home crowd by taking the lead in the 10th minute, putting Ghana under early pressure.
The Black Maidens responded with determination and were rewarded just before the halftime whistle. In the 44th minute, captain Seidatu of Oaks FC the female team of Accra Hearts of Oak capped off a brilliantly worked team move with a composed finish, sending the Accra Sports Stadium into celebration as Ghana restored parity at 1-1.
The second half was a tense affair, with both sides pushing relentlessly for the decisive goal. Despite creating opportunities, neither team could find a breakthrough, and the match remained level at the end of the 90 minutes, leaving the qualification tie to be decided by penalties.
The shootout proved to be a nerve-wracking battle, with both teams displaying remarkable composure from the spot. In the end, Ghana held their nerve to triumph 7-6, sparking jubilant scenes as the Black Maidens sealed qualification for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
The victory saw Ghana progress with a 2-2 aggregate score before prevailing in the penalty shootout, underlining the resilience and character of the young Black Maidens in front of their home supporters.
