Ghana’s U-17 women’s national team head coach, Joe Nana Adarkwa, has challenged his players to respond positively against Brazil after suffering a 3-0 defeat to Norway in their opening match at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.

The Black Maidens face Brazil in their second Group C fixture on Wednesday, October 21, at 18:00 GMT at the Mohammed VI Football Academy, with the team determined to revive its qualification hopes.

Adarkwa admitted that Ghana failed to do enough to secure a positive result against Norway but insisted that the team had already shifted its attention to the next challenge.

“As we turn the page and look ahead to our crucial match against Brazil, I want to be direct about where we stand. We played our best against Norway, but our best was not enough. That is football – sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. We have no excuses. We lost, and we accept it. Now, our entire focus is on the next game,” he said.

The Ghana coach identified poor finishing as one of the major weaknesses exposed in the opening defeat, expressing concern over his players’ hesitation in front of goal.

He explained that the technical team had reviewed the performance and introduced shooting exercises during training to help the players improve their decision-making and accuracy in attacking situations.

“Our match against Norway exposed a critical area we must address: our finishing. We couldn’t shoot, and quite frankly, I don’t know why the players hesitated. In a game situation, you cannot expect players to walk the ball to the post. No coach will accept that. We have watched the match, we have analyzed it, and we have already worked on our shooting in training. We are now going to see if we can apply that work in a match environment. I know the girls are going to apply it.”

Despite the disappointing start, Adarkwa expressed confidence in the team’s mentality, reporting that the players had maintained a positive atmosphere during preparations for the encounter with Brazil.

“Psychologically, the team is in a good place. The atmosphere in training is at a high level, and we have nothing to complain about. The energy is positive, and the focus is sharp.”

The coach also confirmed that a decision on Ghana’s starting goalkeeper would be made after further discussions with his technical team. However, he dismissed concerns about the goalkeeping department, insisting that he has three capable options available.

“As of now, we have a few hours to make a final decision on our goalkeeper. I will sit with my technical team, and we will decide who will keep. But I want to be clear: we have no problem in that department. We have three capable goalkeepers, and any one of them can step up and do the job.”

With their hopes of progressing from the group still in focus, the Black Maidens will be under pressure to produce a stronger performance against a Brazilian side expected to provide a difficult test.

Adarkwa acknowledged the quality of their opponents but maintained that Ghana would approach the encounter with the ambition of securing victory.

“Our objective for the Brazil match is simple and non-negotiable: we have to win at all costs. We cannot lose this match. A win or a draw will be okay, so that we can tackle the last match with a clear path forward. But make no mistake, we are going for the win. We know this will be a tough match. Brazil is a formidable opponent, but we will deliver. The girls are ready.”

The result against Brazil will be crucial to Ghana’s hopes of progressing in the tournament before they face Canada in their final Group C fixture on Saturday.

For Adarkwa and his players, the immediate priority will be to address their shortcomings in front of goal, improve their overall performance and turn their positive training preparations into a result on the pitch.