The Ghana U20 women’s national team, affectionately known as the Black Princesses, played out a captivating 2-2 draw against their South African counterparts in the first leg of their FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup qualifier at the Accra Sports Stadium.
The match was a rollercoaster of emotions, with both teams showing immense fight and determination.
The Black Princesses started with intent, and their efforts paid off when Agnes Yeboah netted the opening goal in the 33rd minute. Not long after, Linda Owusu Ansah doubled Ghana’s lead, putting them comfortably ahead at 2-0.
South Africa refused to be counted out. Just three minutes into the second half, Zoe October pulled one back for the visitors in the 48th minute, bringing the score to 2-1 and injecting new life into the contest.
The Princesses quickly responded, with Linda Owusu Ansah grabbing her second goal of the day in the 52nd minute from a corner kick, restoring Ghana’s two-goal advantage. The see-saw battle continued as South Africa’s Zoe October once again stepped up, unleashing a powerful shot from outside the box in the 60th minute to level the score at 2-2.
Ghana thought they had snatched a late winner when Jessica Appiah found the back of the net in the 87th minute, but the goal was disallowed for offside, much to the disappointment of the home crowd.
The 2-2 draw sets up a tantalizing second leg. The Black Princesses will now travel to South Africa, where they will face their opponents again on February 14, 2026 at the Mbombela Stadium in Mpumalanga, with everything to play for.
By: Andrews Addotey
