Ghana coach Joe Nana Adarkwa has urged the Black Maidens to be cautious when they face Argentina in the last 16 of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco.
The teams meet on Wednesday, with Ghana seeking a place in the quarter-finals after recovering from a difficult opening to the tournament.
Adarkwa believes Argentina will provide a significant challenge and says his players must be particularly disciplined in defence as they attempt to continue their progress in the competition.
“The game will be very, very, very tricky. They are a good side, and we are in the knockout phase, so we are going to be very cautious,” he told FIFA Media.
The Ghana coach also identified finishing as an area his side must improve. The Black Maidens have created a number of chances in their matches so far but have not always been able to convert them.
“We have to take our chances because we are one of the teams in this tournament that have created a lot of chances, but how to convert them is another problem,” he said.
“So we’re looking forward to it, but we have to be cautious in our back line so that they won’t catch us.”
Ghana began their Group C campaign with a 3-0 defeat by Norway. They responded by earning a 3-3 draw against Brazil before ending the group stage with a 2-0 victory over Canada.
That result secured their qualification for the knockout phase and saw them finish second in Group C.
Argentina, in contrast, reached the last 16 as unbeaten group winners, setting up a demanding tie for Adarkwa’s team.
The match will begin at 15:00 GMT at the Mohammed VI Football Complex in Rabat. Ghana will aim to build on their improved performances against Brazil and Canada and reach the final eight.