Ghana U20 Ladies Shock Nigeria Seniors To Qualify For All Africa Games

By Akyereko Frimpong Manson

Ghana secured the biggest shock in African women’s football history when the country’s U20 side eliminated Nigeria’s senior team from the All African Games qualifier.

The Black Princesses beat the Super Falcons 2-1 in Accra on Sunday to qualify for the tournament in Mozambique later this year.

Ghana presented its U20 side for the qualifiers while Nigeria had its first team complete with several foreign-based players which completed the total humiliation for the Super Falcons.

The result means the Black Princesses sealed a 3-2 aggregate win and book a place at the Games in September to be held in Maputo.

African footballer of the Year Perpetua Nkwocha put the Super Falcons ahead under ten minutes.

Ghana’s Under-20 put up a stirring second-half display and Faiza Ibrahim drew level on 69 minutes.

The Black Princesses piled the pressure and did well to thwart the rampant Nigerian forward liners.

In added on time, Faiza Ibrahim was brought down inside the box and the referee pointed to the spot for penalty.

Rosemary Ampem stepped forward and expertly converted the winner.

This is the first time Nigeria have been eliminated from the qualifiers to any women football event on the continent with most of the credit going to coach Kuuku Dadzie for achieving the historic feat.

The Uche Eucharia led- team with this defeat claimed the record of emerging as the first set of Nigerian women national team to fail to qualify for a major championship since inception.

As it is now, Eucharia has emerged the first coach to fail to qualify the women national team for a major competition.

She was also assistant to Joseph Ladipo when the Super Falcons surrendered their African title for the very first time in Equatorial Guinea in 2008.