Ghana’s U-20 women’s national team, the Black Princesses, will take a major step in their FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup qualification campaign on Sunday when they face South Africa’s Basetsana at the Accra Sports Stadium.

The first-leg encounter is scheduled to kick off at 3:30pm, with the return fixture set to be played in South Africa between February 12 and 14.

Match officials for the tie include Nesrine Quertatani and Khouloud Amri, with Emna Ajbouni serving as the fourth official. Nigeria’s Ruth David has been named match commissioner, while Senegal’s Fatou Gaye will act as referee assessor. Tunisian referee Asma Chouchane will officiate the match, assisted by fellow compatriots.

The Black Princesses entered the qualifiers at the second-round stage after receiving a bye in the first round and progressed by thrashing Tunisia 4-0 on aggregate to book a place in the third round.

Victory over Basetsana would set up a decisive final-round showdown against the winner of the Zambia versus Uganda tie, with one of Africa’s four tickets to the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup at stake.

Since 2010, Ghana’s U-20 women have qualified for every edition of the tournament but have exited at the group stage each time. Head coach Charles Sampson, a former assistant coach of the senior Black Queens, is determined to guide the team beyond that barrier.

Speaking from their camping base at the Ghanaman Soccer Centre of Excellence in Prampram, Sampson stressed the importance of making home advantage count.

“Our ultimate target is the World Cup ticket, but for Sunday’s game, the focus is to get a good result at home to put us in a strong position for the second leg,” he said.
The coach described South Africa as a free-flowing and competitive side and called on Ghanaian fans to rally behind the team.

“We need massive support from the stands on Sunday. With the backing of Ghanaians, we believe we can secure a big win ahead of the return leg,” Sampson added.