Black Princesses coach Yussif Basigi optimistic about qualification despite opening game loss

Black Princesses are determined to advance from the group stage of the 2024 U20 Women’s World Cup as one of the best two teams from their group, according to coach Yussif Basigi.The Black Princesses are set to face Japan on Thursday night at the Estadio Metropolitano de Techo in Colombia, following their 2-1 defeat against Austria in their Group E opener on Monday.Japan, on the other hand, secured a convincing 7-0 victory over New Zealand in their first match.Despite the disappointment of their opening loss, Basigi remains optimistic about his team’s chances against Japan.”Maybe a draw would have given us, I would say, motivation to play. However, we have nothing to complain about if we are playing against Japan. The only thing is to ensure that we beat them.It is a hope, but we still want to go on merit. Even though third place is also a merit, we still want to fight hard and get a respectable position in our group.”The Black Princesses have yet to advance past the group stage in their six previous appearances at the U20 Women’s World Cup. Coach Basigi acknowledges the challenge of facing Japan but believes his team has the potential to secure a positive result.In the other Group E fixture, Austria will take on New Zealand at 1 a.m. on Friday, as the race for qualification intensifies.