Ghana’s Black Maidens staged a spirited comeback to secure a hard-fought 3-3 draw against Brazil in their second Group C match, with substitute Priscilla Mensah scoring a late equaliser to rescue a vital point.
Brazil made a flying start to the encounter, with Nicolly Manuel opening the scoring inside the seventh minute to give the South Americans an early advantage. However, Coach Nana Adarkwa’s side responded positively, gradually finding their rhythm and pushing for an equaliser.
Their efforts paid off in the 31st minute when defender Rafia Osman rose highest to head home Ghana’s equaliser. The Black Maidens continued to build on their momentum and completed the turnaround just four minutes later, with Gloria Ameaa scoring in the 35th minute to put Ghana 2-1 ahead.
Brazil, however, struck back just before the interval, as Kaillany Ranifah found the net in the 44th minute to restore parity and send both teams into the break locked at 2-2. The South Americans regained the lead after the restart when Indy scored to make it 3-2, leaving Ghana with another uphill task.
The Black Maidens refused to give up and continued to search for a way back into the contest. Their persistence was rewarded in the 85th minute when substitute Priscilla Mensah tapped home from close range following an excellent delivery from Jessica Appiah Asamoah, who caused Brazil’s defence problems throughout the game.
The draw leaves Ghana with one point from two matches, following their 3-0 defeat to Norway in their opening Group C fixture on Sunday. The Black Maidens must now beat Canada in their final group game to keep their hopes of progressing to the next stage of the competition alive.
