Ghana's Black Maidens are through to the semi-finals of the FIFA U17 Women's World Cup after beating Argentina 5-4 on penalties in Morocco on Wednesday, October 28, 2026.

The quarter-final at the Mohammed VI Football Complex ended 1-1 after 90 minutes, sending the tie to a shootout in which Ghana scored all five of their penalties. Argentina's Oriana Gomez missed, and that was the difference.

Jessica Appiah gave Ghana the lead in the 16th minute, finishing off a move set up by Cynthia Obinsrewuo, and she was later named Player of the Match. Obinsrewuo thought she had doubled the lead, but her effort was ruled offside.

Ghana's task got harder in the 77th minute when Hajara Adam was sent off after a second yellow card, leaving the Maidens to finish the game with ten players. Argentina pressed the advantage and Mercedes Diz equalised in the 86th minute, her seventh goal of the tournament.

But the ten-player Maidens held their nerve in the shootout. All five Ghana penalties found the net, and when Gomez missed for Argentina, Ghana's place in the last four was sealed.

Head coach Joe Nana Adarkwa celebrated wildly at the final whistle, later saying he had lost his voice in the celebrations. The result takes Ghana to their first U17 Women's World Cup semi-final since the team's bronze-medal run in 2012, and their first quarter-final appearance since 2018.

Ghana had also reached the quarter-finals in 2012, 2014 and 2016, but this is the team's seventh appearance at the tournament after an eight-year absence. Argentina, by contrast, were playing at the competition for the first time.

The Maidens will now face the winner of the quarter-final between Japan and Kenya for a place in the final.

Sources: GhanaSoccernet, Flashscore, The Vaultz News, AfricaSoccer.