U-20 Women's World Cup: Asamoah Gyan's dressing-room visit inspired Black Princesses, says coach Sampson

Black Princesses head coach Charles Sampson says a surprise dressing-room visit from Ghana legend Asamoah Gyan gave his players a timely lift as they revived their FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup campaign with victory over South Korea.

Ghana kept their hopes of reaching the knockout stage alive with a 3-1 win on Wednesday after opening the tournament with defeat by Ecuador, and Sampson believes Gyan's presence played a significant role in lifting the squad's spirits.

Speaking to 3Sports, the coach revealed that he had known in advance the former Black Stars captain would attend the match and made sure the players were aware before kick-off.

"It meant a lot," Sampson said.
"I already got the signal that he would be coming, so I picked the girls. The girls were actually expecting him before the game started, but they knew that he was present."

Sampson said the excitement grew when Gyan entered the dressing room during the half-time break, describing the moment as an extra source of motivation for his players.

"He came into the dressing room during half-time, and that alone was enough motivation for the girls. It's a beautiful thing," he added.

The coach said the players' reaction was unmistakable as they embraced the opportunity to interact with one of Ghana's greatest footballers.

"We could see the joy in them all, and they enjoyed it. So we are looking forward to giving them even more exciting times."

The victory over South Korea has left Ghana with qualification still within reach ahead of their final Group stage match against France on Saturday, when a positive result would secure a place in the next round.