Black Maidens head coach Joe Nana Adarkwa says he is extremely proud of his players after their 2-0 victory over Canada secured qualification to the Round of 16 of the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup.
Speaking after the game, the elated coach said the mood in camp is one of pure joy after the team achieved its target.
"We are happy. You can see on the front; the girls are happy. As a coach, I'm very, very happy and they made us proud, they made us extremely proud," Adarkwa said.
"So, we are very, very happy. We came here purposely for a win. We came purposely for a win and lo and behold, it happened. So, this is what we planned for."
The coach reserved special praise for his technical team and the impact of his second-half substitutions, which changed the game.
"At least the second half, our changes were wonderful. Our changes, we did well. I'm proud of myself and my technical team."
Looking ahead to the Round of 16 clash against Argentina on October 28, Adarkwa admitted tougher tests lie ahead.
"Going forward, I know we are heading to difficult times. We are going to face tougher opposition, and we are going to work towards that," he concluded.
The Black Maidens finished the group with four points after a 0-3 loss to Norway, a 3-3 draw with Brazil, and a 2-0 win over Canada.
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