Ghana’s national Under-17 women’s team, the Black Maidens, have demonstrated African solidarity by turning out in the stands to support Nigeria’s Flamingos at the ongoing FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco.
The Ghanaian players were present on Thursday, October 29, to cheer on the Nigerian side as they faced Mexico in their Round of 16 encounter.
The Flamingos rewarded their support with a 2-1 victory over Mexico, securing qualification for the quarter-finals of the tournament.
The show of solidarity came a day after the Black Maidens booked their own place in the last eight following a dramatic victory over Argentina.
Ghana defeated the South Americans 5-4 on penalties after both teams had played out a 1-1 draw in regulation time.
During Ghana’s encounter, some Nigerians were also spotted in the stands cheering on the Black Maidens as they battled Argentina.
The mutual support between the two West African sides has highlighted a spirit of camaraderie among the continent’s representatives at the competition.
Meanwhile, Japan also secured a quarter-final place after defeating Kenya, setting up a clash with Ghana for a place in the semi-finals.
With Zambia and hosts Morocco having exited at the Round of 16 stage, Ghana and Nigeria are the only African teams remaining in the competition.
Quarter-final fixtures
The quarter-final pairings are:
- Ghana vs Japan
- Korea DPR vs USA
- China vs Brazil
- Nigeria vs Venezuela
The FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup is being staged in Rabat, Morocco, with the remaining teams now battling for a place in the semi-finals.
By Gifty Boateng