Ghana’s Black Princesses began their FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup campaign on a disappointing note, suffering a 2-1 defeat to Austria in their Group E opener on Monday evening.
The match started as a tight contest in midfield, but Austria soon gained control by effectively using long balls to penetrate Ghana’s defence.
Their efforts paid off early, with forward Hannah Fankhauser finding the net in the 12th minute following a well-executed move and cross.
Ghana struggled to create clear chances throughout the match, as Austria continued to dominate the play.
The situation worsened for the Black Princesses when Austria was awarded a penalty in the 71st minute. Midfielder Nicole Ojukwu stepped up and calmly converted the spot-kick, extending Austria’s lead to 2-0.
Despite a late push from Ghana, including a stoppage-time goal by captain Stella Nyamekye, the Black Princesses were unable to overturn the deficit. Austria held on to secure a 2-1 victory.
The Black Princesses will look to bounce back in their next group stage match against Japan on September 5th, before concluding the group phase with a fixture against New Zealand on September 8th.
