Ghana’s Black Princesses came from behind to defeat Uganda 2-1 in the first leg of the final qualifying round for the 2026 Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) Under-20 Women’s World Cup at the Accra Sports Stadium on Sunday, setting up a decisive return fixture in Kampala next week.
Uganda’s Queen Cranes silenced the home crowd when Agnes Nabukenya gave the visitors a surprise lead in the 32nd minute, and the Ghanaians were unable to find a response before the half-time break despite pressing for an equaliser. Coach Charles Sampson made changes at the interval and the Black Princesses came out a transformed side after the restart.
Substitute Priscilla Mensah restored parity in the 58th minute, heading home from close range to give the Accra Sports Stadium crowd renewed belief. Ghana continued to push and, with five minutes remaining, winger Jessica Appiah delivered a precise ball from the flank for Latifa Abesik to finish calmly and complete the turnaround.
The 2-1 victory gives Ghana a narrow but valuable advantage heading into the second leg, scheduled for Saturday May 9 at Vuga Kadiba Stadium in Kampala. A draw or better will be sufficient for the Black Princesses to seal qualification.
Ghana entered the tie in good form, having progressed through the earlier qualifying rounds with a 4-0 aggregate win over Tunisia and a 3-2 aggregate victory over South Africa. The Black Princesses are chasing an eighth consecutive appearance at the tournament, a record that underlines the country’s established standing in African women’s football at youth level.
Uganda, meanwhile, have never qualified for the FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup and have been impressive in the qualifiers, beating Namibia 5-0 on aggregate and edging Zambia 2-1 to reach the final round.
The 2026 FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup is scheduled to be held in Poland from September 5 to 27.
