U-17 Women's World Cup: Joe Nana Adarkwa hails Black Maidens players after dramatic win over Argentina

Black Maidens coach Joe Nana Adarkwa has praised his players for their resilience after Ghana beat Argentina on penalties to reach the quarter-finals of the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco.

Ghana faced the South American side in the Round of 16 at the Mohammed VI Complex in Rabat on Wednesday, with the match ending 1-1 after regulation time.

The Black Maidens were forced to play with 10 players after Hajara Adam was sent off with 13 minutes remaining, but they held on to take the contest to a penalty shootout.

Ghana eventually prevailed 5-4 on penalties to secure their place in the last eight, prompting a delighted reaction from Adarkwa, who praised his players for following his tactical instructions under pressure.

"I'm delighted, as usual," Adarkwa told FIFA Media after the match. "You can see in the celebrations that I lost my voice, but I'm OK."

The coach also singled out Jessica Appiah for praise, highlighting her composure and importance to the team.

"In our match that brought us into this tournament against Senegal, she scored the final penalty and today too. I'm happy for the girl. Jessica is a world-class player – she's fantastic," he said.

Adarkwa added that Ghana's ability to remain organised after going down to 10 players was crucial to their survival in the contest.

"We're a technical team but our players did well because if you are not tactical when it's 10 against 11, you lose the game. But thank God the players played according to our instructions and we drew," he said.

"I'm happy for my girls because if you instruct them, they'll get there."

The victory keeps Ghana's campaign alive as they target a place in the semi-finals.

The Black Maidens will face either Japan or Kenya in the quarter-finals as they continue their pursuit of the title in Morocco.