The 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup kicks off in five days, with Poland hosting this year’s global tournament.
The Black Princesses will be competing in the tournament for the eighth consecutive time after their previous appearances.
In all previous seven, Ghana have failed to make it out of the group stage and are hoping to overcome that hurdle this year.
The Black Princesses, led by Charles Sampson, named the final squad for the tournament over the weekend, but there are a few concerns as they will be without some key players for the tournament.
Here are the key absentees for the tournament:
Out of all the absentees, Linda’s absence hurts the most. She is the captain of the Black Princesses, and her goal in Kampala against Uganda ensured the team booked a place at the World Cup. However, Linda will play no role at the tournament after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in August.
The injury came in the dying minutes of the Black Queens’ 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup qualification play-off game against Côte d’Ivoire in Casablanca after having been part of the Ghana team at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON).
Having played at the 2026 WAFCON with the Black Queens as well, Comfort was expected to join the Black Princesses squad in Poland for the tournament as one of the experienced heads.
Unfortunately, she will not be at the tournament. Comfort misses out after there was no agreement with Spanish side, Logroño United, over releasing the defender for yet another international assignment. Per reports, the club is not interested in allowing the right-back to team up with the U-20s, having released her several times to national assignments since her arrival in Spain.
Tipped to be one of the many players to keep an eye on at the World Cup, Jessica will now only watch from home. Having featured in all of the qualifiers for the tournament and having joined the team in Accra before they flew to Poland, Jessica got injured just days before the team travelled.
Jessica was a great addition to Sampson’s squad during the qualifying phase, but the gaffer will now need to look elsewhere for inspiration, with the winger set for some time on the sidelines due to a knee injury.
2026 U20 WWC: Black Princesses final squad for tournament revealed
When the Black Princesses faced Tunisia in their first involvement in the qualifiers for the World Cup, and Mercy scored in both games, it looked as if they had finally found a poacher. However, that was the only game the former Hasaacas Ladies striker would go on to play.
She has been on the sidelines due to an ACL injury she suffered while playing for her Egyptian side late last year. Despite being on the road to recovery, Mercy has changed clubs, joining Turkish side Ünye Kadın, but she won’t be available for the tournament.
Mary came in as a replacement for Mercy Attobrah just before the games against South Africa as Sampson was in need of a striker.
However, the former Ampem Darkoa Ladies striker also suffered an ACL injury in the second leg of the game against South Africa, ruling him out of the remaining qualifiers.
Mary had surgery, which meant she would also miss the tournament and will now turn her attention to getting fit for her club in the coming weeks.
The Black Princesses face Ecuador in their first game on September 5 before going on to play South Korea and France in their remaining group games.
