2026 U-20 Women’s World Cup: A Tough Start for African Nations
Only Benin came away with a point after the first matchday
Africa
Add Foot Africa on Google
2026 U-20 Women’s World Cup: A Tough Start for African Nations
The African teams’ debut at the 2026 U-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland did not go well. At the end of the first day of group play, the results were dismal: 3 losses and 1 draw.
Expected losses, a valuable draw
Brazil dominated Tanzania 4-1. Ecuador gave Ghana no chance, winning 3-0. Spain, the 2022 champion, defeated Nigeria 2-0.
The only bright spot for the continent came from Benin’s U-20 Amazones. Against Mexico, the U-20 Amazones held on for a 2-2 draw. They owe this result to Romaine Gandonou, who scored twice to help the Beninese team earn their first point of the tournament.
A Comeback in the Works
With just 1 point out of a possible 12, the African teams have struggled early on. But the competition has only just begun, and there are still two matches left to turn things around.
This article follows our newsroom’s editorial standards. To learn more about how we create and fact-check our content, see our
Editorial Policy
.
Exclusive Interviews