Ghana's U-20 women's national team, the Black Princesses, led by coach Yussif Basigi, are emphasizing the need for more friendly matches as they gear up for the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in Colombia.

The Black Princesses are preparing for their seventh consecutive appearance in the tournament since their debut in 2010.

Training has been ongoing in Cape Coast for the past three weeks, but Basigi highlighted the importance of competitive matches to adequately prepare the team.

Speaking to the press on Monday, Basigi underscored the necessity of friendly games to match the team's training intensity and ensure they are battle-ready for the World Cup.

"Definitely, when it comes to such preparations, you will need matches to play. But to begin with, we have started playing some medium-profile games around since many of the female clubs are not in session," Basigi said.

He also mentioned their current strategy of playing against U-13 boys' teams to maintain competitive momentum, expressing hope for more matches as preparations progress.

The Black Princesses are in Group E and will face Austria, New Zealand, and Japan. With the tournament expanding from 16 to 24 teams, Basigi aims to guide Ghana past the group stage for the first time.

Ghana’s U-20 team is determined to break their group stage exit trend and make a significant impact at the World Cup, building on their rigorous training and strategic friendly matches.