By Samuel Ahmadu in Rabat

African representatives Zambia and Ghana will begin their campaigns at the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco on Sunday, October 18, with both nations targeting strong starts to their respective group-stage campaigns.

The Copper Princesses of Zambia face Japan in Group D, while Ghana’s Black Maidens take on Norway in Group C as the competition continues in Rabat.

The two fixtures present different challenges for the African sides, with Zambia seeking to build on their growing experience at the global tournament and Ghana returning to the competition after missing the previous edition.  

Zambia face Japan in Group D rematch

Zambia will renew their rivalry with Japan when the two teams meet at 15:00 local time at the Mohammed VI Football Complex in Rabat.

The encounter brings together two sides familiar with each other, having met during the group stage of the 2025 edition in Morocco, when Japan recorded a 2-0 victory over the Copper Princesses.

Zambia will be determined to produce a different outcome this time as they begin their third consecutive appearance at the tournament.  

Under head coach Carol Kanyemba, Zambia have steadily gained experience at the global level. Their 2024 campaign ended without a point, but they made significant progress in 2025 by recording a memorable 4-0 victory over New Zealand to reach the knockout stage for the first time.

Kanyemba has now become the first coach to lead a Zambian team to three successive FIFA World Cups at any level, and she is determined to guide the Copper Princesses to another milestone.

The Zambian coach has identified a place on the tournament podium as an ambition, while stressing the importance of continued improvement and belief among her players.  

Japan, however, will provide a stern opening examination. The Asian side have consistently qualified for the tournament and progressed to the quarter-finals in 2025 before losing to eventual champions DPR Korea.

Zambia will need to combine defensive organisation with greater attacking efficiency if they are to overcome the Japanese challenge and begin Group D with a positive result.

After Sunday’s encounter, the Copper Princesses will face Venezuela on October 21 before concluding their group-stage fixtures against France on October 24.  

Ghana return against Norway

Ghana’s Black Maidens will also be in action on Sunday, facing Norway in their opening Group C fixture at 18:00 local time at the Mohammed VI Football Complex.

The match marks Ghana’s return to the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup after missing the previous edition, with head coach Joe Nana Adarkwa’s side hoping to make an immediate impression.

Ghana have a proud history in the competition, having won the bronze medal in 2012 and reached the quarter-finals on three occasions. Their immediate task, however, is to navigate a challenging group that also contains Brazil and Canada.  

The Black Maidens have been preparing in Morocco since early October, using a training camp in Casablanca to assess their readiness for the tournament.

Their preparations included two international friendly matches. Ghana lost 3-0 to China before responding with a 2-1 victory over Kenya on October 14.

The win over Kenya offered encouragement ahead of the Norway encounter, although Ghana will need a disciplined performance to secure a positive result in their opening match.  

Norway will also be keen to make progress after a difficult campaign at the 2025 tournament, where they suffered three defeats without scoring a goal.

The European side have since qualified for the 2026 finals after reaching the semi-finals of the UEFA European Women’s Under-17 Championship, demonstrating renewed promise ahead of their meeting with Ghana.  

Ghana’s ability to make the most of their attacking opportunities while maintaining defensive concentration could prove decisive against a Norway side eager to improve on last year’s performance.

Following the opener, the Black Maidens will face Brazil on October 22 before meeting Canada on October 24 in their remaining Group C fixtures.  

African hopes in Morocco

Zambia and Ghana are among five African teams competing at the 2026 tournament, alongside hosts Morocco, Nigeria and Kenya.

With the competition bringing together 24 nations from six confederations, the African representatives will be aiming to demonstrate the continent’s growing strength in women’s youth football.

For Zambia, Sunday’s match offers an opportunity to measure their progress against a familiar opponent. For Ghana, it is a chance to re-establish themselves on the global stage after missing the previous edition.

Both teams face demanding group campaigns, but positive opening results would provide a valuable foundation for their ambitions of reaching the knockout stages.