Owusu Ansah eyes first knockout place for Ghana at 2026 U20 World Cup

Ghana’s Black Princesses will make an eighth consecutive appearance at the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup, with captain Linda Owusu Ansah targeting a first qualification for the knockout stage. The 20-year-old attacking midfielder helped secure Ghana’s place by scoring from a free-kick in the second leg of the qualifying tie against Uganda in Kampala.

The tournament will be held in Poland from September 5 to 27, 2026. Ghana have been placed in Group C with Ecuador, France and Korea Republic, giving the African side a difficult route to the next phase.

Owusu Ansah believes Ghana’s performance in qualifying showed that the team has the unity and resilience needed to compete against those opponents. She is confident that maintaining that collective spirit can help the Black Princesses achieve progress beyond the group stage.

Ghana’s qualification came after a two-legged contest with Uganda in May. Owusu Ansah’s contribution in Kampala proved decisive as the Black Princesses completed their return to the global tournament and prepared for another campaign at the under-20 level.

The team’s regular presence at the competition has not yet produced a place in the knockout rounds. Ghana have appeared at every edition covered by their current eight-tournament run but have remained unable to move beyond the group stage, making advancement in Poland a clear objective.

That history gives Owusu Ansah and her teammates a specific target for the 2026 tournament. Ghana will seek to turn the experience gained from their previous appearances and the determination displayed in qualifying into their first progression from the group phase.