Head coach of Ghana’s U-17 women’s national team, the Black Maidens, Joe Nana Adarkwa, has reaffirmed the team’s commitment to rigorous age verification following previous sanctions imposed on Ghana over eligibility breaches.
His comments come after the Confederation of African Football banned Ghana from two editions of the U-17 Women’s World Cup African qualifiers due to an age fraud incident in 2022. The fallout prompted reforms in player screening within the national setup.
Speaking after his side’s emphatic 6-0 win over Togo on Saturday, April 19, 2026, which sealed an 8-0 aggregate victory and booked their place in the next round, Adarkwa stressed that lessons have been learned and safeguards strengthened.
“In terms of ages, we are very careful with everything we do. Any player we pick goes through the FA system to confirm eligibility for U-17. There’s no shaking,” he said.
He also highlighted the team’s growing confidence and focus as the qualifiers progress.
“The girls are focused and hungry for success. What you saw today is just a glimpse of what we are capable of.”
Ghana will now face Liberia’s U-17 women’s side in the next stage of the qualifiers.
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