Ghana’s Black Starlets suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat to Ivory Coast in the semi-finals of the 2026 WAFU B U17 Championship, ending their hopes of reaching the final and securing qualification for the 2027 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
The young Ghanaians were forced to play with 10 men from the 17th minute after defender Daniel Owusu received a straight red card for a bad tackle on an Ivorian striker, leaving the Black Starlets with an uphill task for the remainder of the encounter.
Despite the numerical disadvantage, Ghana remained resilient and created promising opportunities in both halves as they sought to upset their opponents and book a place in the final.
Striker Alidu Issah had one of the best chances to put Ghana ahead but failed to hit the target, shooting wide when presented with an opportunity to break the deadlock.
The Black Starlets continued to battle bravely, but their resistance was finally broken in the 76th minute when Alex Fousseni Bamba fired home from close range to hand Ivory Coast the decisive lead.
Ghana pushed desperately for an equaliser in the closing stages, with David Kwarteng coming close after beautifully controlling a pass from Prince Apam. However, his effort narrowly missed the post as the Ivorians held on to secure victory.
The defeat ends Ghana’s campaign at the semi-final stage, while Ivory Coast advance to the final and secure qualification for the 2027 U-17 AFCON. The Elephants will now look to crown their impressive campaign by winning the WAFU B U17 Championship.
WAFU B COMMUNICATIONS