Black Princesses fall to Austria in World cup opener

Colombia - The Black Princesses of Ghana suffered a 1-2 defeat to Austria in their opening match of the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup on Monday night.

The Austrian team, making their tournament debut, took an early lead through Hannah Frankhauser's 12th-minute goal, catching the Ghanaian defense off guard.

Despite a strong second-half performance, Ghana struggled to capitalize on scoring opportunities, with Stella Nyamekye and Jennifer Owusuaa's efforts thwarted by the Austrian goalkeeper.

A 70th-minute penalty conversion by Nicole Ojukwu extended Austria's lead, leaving Ghana with a mountain to climb. A late Stella Nyamekye strike in the 93rd minute proved too little, too late, as Austria held on for a 1-2 victory.

The Black Princesses will look to bounce back in their next match against 2018 champions Japan on Thursday at 22:00 GMT.

Score: Austria 2, Ghana 1

Goals: Hannah Frankhauser (12'), Nicole Ojukwu (70') - Austria; Stella Nyamekye (93') - Ghana

Source: Lead News Online