It all started so promisingly. Ghana kicked off their 2014 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup campaign in the best possible manner with a 1-0 victory over hosts Canada, further fuelling the players’ dreams of advancing from the group stage for the first time.
Their coach, Bashir Hayford, even went as far as to claim that his side were contenders for the trophy. However, a 3-0 reverse at the hands of Korea Republic soon brought the Black Princesses crashing back down to earth, leaving them languishing in third place in the group.
Amid the potential for doom and gloom, the smiling, yet determined face of Ghana captain Grace Adams represents a beacon of hope for the Africans. She makes no bones about what went wrong last time out, however. “They were faster than us and always first to the ball. We were too slow,” Adams told FIFA.com. “It’s tough when you’re defending for the whole match and every time you look to clear your lines and get back into your stride, the ball just keeps on coming back. We barely had time to draw breath.”
The starlet is nevertheless confident that she and her team-mates can bounce back. “We never got down on ourselves,” stressed the Reformers schemer, who inherited the armband owing to the injury that has kept Beatrice Sesu out of the tournament. “We know that we’ve still got room for improvement and, above all, that we still have a chance of qualifying. So why would we be sad?” she asked, her calm tone a testament to her equanimity. “We’re trying to think about the next match, not the previous one. We have to look forwards, not backwards.”
Singing from the same hymn sheet
The task facing the Ghanaians is by no means an impossible one, as upcoming opponents Finland have lost both of their first two matches, albeit not before giving Korea Republic and Canada a run for their money. Adams is adamant that the Black Princesses have to up their game.
“To motivate my team-mates, I’m going to tell them we have to put any doubts behind us and go out there with more determination than ever before,” proclaimed the winger, who knows a thing or two about delivering when push comes to shove. After all, she was the one who scored the crucial goal to seal a 1-0 victory in the return leg of the qualifying play-off against Equatorial Guinea, taking the tie to penalties, in which Ghana prevailed. “Whatever happens, we mustn’t let our heads drop,” she reiterated.
Far from bowing their heads, the Africans will be raising their voices. In each of their games so far, both held at Toronto’s National Soccer Stadium, Adams and Co have come out of the dressing room singing. They will continue this ritual before their make-or-break final group fixture: “We always sing the same gospel song,” revealed Adams, picking out Cynthia Yiadom, Priscilla Okyere and Rebecca Asante as the squad members with the best voices. “Singing in the tunnel boosts our morale; it makes us feel stronger. The song is about God’s greatness and finding the ways to make it through the trials and tribulations when you are in need or in doubt.”
When the Ghanaian girls do overcome their challenges, like in the opening match of the tournament against the hosts, they wow even the most passionate partisan crowds by showing off another talent: their quirky dance moves.
“It’s a special dance we do as a team, moving different parts of our body in sequence,” Adams explained, acting out the routine as she spoke. “We created it; it’s unique. It belongs to us and unites us as a team,” concluded the Black Princesses skipper, who will be hoping her leadership and this strong team spirit are enough to inspire her side to apply a coup de Grace against the Finns.
Confederation of African Football (CAF) News
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