Ghana’s Girls in Black are gearing up for a tough quarter-final clash with Japan at the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, with both sides looking to reach the semi-finals when they meet on Sunday, November 1.
Popularly known as Little Nadeshiko, Japan enjoyed an impressive campaign in Morocco, winning all three of their Group D matches to top the group with nine points.
The Asian side started the group stage with a 5-0 win over Zambia before a 2-0 win over France. They completed their group task with another 2-0 win over Venezuela, finishing with a perfect record of three wins from three matches.
Japan’s performances have once again demonstrated their quality and consistency at youth level, with the team having a rich history in the competition.
Little Nadeshiko has appeared in every edition of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup since its introduction in 2008, marking her tenth appearance in the ongoing tournament. They are one of the few nations that have maintained their presence in every edition.
Their record includes runners-up in 2010 and 2016, as well as a historic title win in 2014. Six times – in 2008, 2012, 2018, 2022, 2024 and 2025 – Japan reached the quarter-finals, but failed to advance to the last four.
The meeting presents another opportunity for Ghana to make a statement on their return to the global stage after missing out on the previous edition.
The Black Girls are making their first appearance in the tournament since 2018, reaching the quarterfinals. Ghana’s best record remains a bronze medal in 2012, with appearances in 2014, 2016 and 2018 also ending at the quarter-final stage.
After being out of the competition, the team will be determined to bounce back by getting out of the last eight and qualifying for the semi-finals for the first time.
Ghana’s journey to this stage has required resilience. The Black Girls started with a 3-0 loss to Norway in Group C before playing out an entertaining 3-3 draw with Brazil. They revived their qualification hopes with a crucial 2-0 win over Canada and advanced to the play-offs.
Their 1/8 final match against Argentina was another tough test. After a 1-1 draw, Ghana held their nerve to win 5-4 on penalties and qualify for the quarter-finals.
With Japan’s pedigree and Ghana’s determination to go beyond the quarter-finals, Sunday’s encounter promises to be an exciting contest.
The mission for the Black Girls is to rise to the occasion, beat one of the most established teams in the competition and take another important step to add to Ghana’s history at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.