We are motivated to go beyond the group stage - Basigi on U20 Women's World Cup

Head coach of Ghana's U20 women's football team, Yussif Basigi says the team is motivated for another World Cup campaign and looking forward to going beyond the group stage this time round.

The Black Princesses are set for a seventh successive appearance at the FIFA U-20 World Cup with this year's edition set to be staged in Colombia from August 31 to September 22, 2024.

Ghana has failed to go beyond the group stage in their previous participation in the competition.

Speaking at a pre-tournament press conference in Cape Coast, Coach Basigi said: "This time, we are motivated to go again and make a mark because we are all looking forward to breaking that jinx. We have made the girls aware just as we the technical staff are aware." 

"We don't need anybody to task us to do that job. We know how difficult it is. It's a very herculean task but we will do all that we can to go beyond the group stage before we think of any other thing," he said in response to what he would do differently this time round.

The team has been training in Cape Coast for the past three weeks as part of preparations for the tournament.

With the expansion of the competition to 24 teams from 16, Coach Basigi is hoping to guide Ghana past the first round for the first time since 2012.

Ghana are in Group E alongside Austria, New Zealand and Japan.