Princesses qualify for World Cup after walloping Ethiopia 4-0

Ghana’s Under-20 women’s football team, Black Princesses Sunday secured one of Africa’s two tickets for next’s year Women’s World Cup (WWC) with an emphatic win over Ethiopia in their final qualifier at the Baba Yara Stadium.

Though the Princesses needed just a draw to qualify, they took care of business and sealed qualification in style with a 4-0 win, courtesy a brace each from Sandra Owusu-Ansah and Princella Adubea, thus securing a 6-2 aggregate result, having drawn 2-2 in the first leg in Addis Ababa.

If the result of the first leg was anything to go by, then the second leg was expected to be very tough, given that there was not going to be another chance. Indeed, the Ethiopians initially proved a hard nut to crack, but once the Princesses broke the deadlock on the 32nd minute, there floodgates were thrown wide open as three more goals were scored to dismiss any threat from the visitors.

The striking partnership between Owusu-Ansah and Adubea proved very useful as they complemented each other’s effort and it was no suprise that they got their names on the scoresheet for the Princesses.

Adubea  headed a goal-bound ball into the net with a completely stranded Ethiopian goalkeeper, Tarikua Burgena. By the 48th minute, the Princesses were 2-0 up, from an Owusu-Ansah  strike and just two minutes later, Adubea had scored her second on the day and Ghana’s third.

In what could be described as the best goal of the day, Sandra used her back heel to beat her marker right on the edge of the penality box before taking a volley past the Ethiopia keeper.

Masa-Ud Didi Dramani's ladies dominated the entire second half with the visitors hardly crossing the half line and was no doubt satisfied with their performance and the final scoreline as he told the Graphic Sports: “It was not just the scoreline, but the performance just emphasised that mission has been accomplished.”