Black Princesses defender Alexandra Tay says Ghana’s experience from the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup has strengthened her determination to help the team achieve a historic breakthrough at this year’s tournament in Poland.
Tay, who featured for Ghana at the 2024 World Cup in Colombia, is preparing to make her second appearance at the global competition and believes the experience has helped her develop both individually and tactically.
The centre-back said the squad was motivated and ready to compete for a place in the knockout stage, a feat the Black Princesses have yet to achieve in the history of the tournament.
“The training has been really good. I think the motivation in the group is really strong right now,” Tay said.
She said arriving in Poland had created a mixture of excitement and determination within the squad, with the players eager to accomplish something new for Ghana.
“Now that we’re in Poland, it’s a good mix of excitement and a real desire to compete and to hunt for something that we haven’t done before. So I think we’re ready to go,” she added.
For Tay, a second World Cup appearance is a significant honour, particularly after representing Ghana at the 2024 edition in Colombia.
She said her first World Cup experience taught her an important lesson about maintaining focus and approaching each match on its own terms.
“I was extremely humbled. I’m always honoured to represent Ghana and to play in a second World Cup. The Under-20 World Cup is an extreme privilege and I’m incredibly grateful to be here,” she said.
Reflecting on the lessons from Colombia, Tay stressed the importance of avoiding distractions from long-term ambitions and concentrating on the immediate challenge.
“The experience in Colombia in 2024 really emphasised to me how important it is to focus on each game. We have our first game on Sunday and that has to be our first focus,” she said.
She added that the team must take the tournament one match at a time rather than looking too far ahead.
“We have to look towards that and then take it step by step from there. But that has to be our first priority before we can look at anything else.”
With the Black Princesses aiming to make history in Poland, Tay’s previous World Cup experience could provide valuable leadership at the heart of Ghana’s defence as the team begins its campaign.
