We want to go beyond the group stage at the World Cup - Black Princesses coach

Black Princesses coach Yussif Basigi has revealed that the team's primary goal for the upcoming FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup is to advance past the group stage.

Ghana has qualified for its seventh consecutive World Cup at this level and will be one of four countries representing the African continent.

The 2024 tournament, hosted in Colombia from August 31 to September 22, will see the Black Princesses aiming to break their group stage curse, having failed to advance in their six previous attempts between 2012 and 2022.

Basigi expressed confidence and hope for a different outcome in South America this time around. "I know Ghanaians are expecting us to go beyond the group stage; that is a paramount expectation. We also have it in mind," he said in an interview with the Ghana Football Association Media.

"I was there [in the past], and it didn't work... For now, I would say we have gotten support from the FA and the ministry for our training sessions. So the expectation from Ghanaians is also what we are expecting: to go beyond the group stage before we can think of anything else."

The team has been camping in Cape Coast for the past week in preparation for the competition, with Basigi and his technical team expected to finalize the squad soon.

This year, the number of participating teams has increased from 16 to 24. Ghana has been drawn into a group with one-time winners Japan and debutants Austria and New Zealand.

As the tournament approaches, the Black Princesses are determined to make history by advancing beyond the group stage for the first time.