Black Starlets miss out on U-17 AFCON after defeat by Ivory Coast

Ghana’s Black Starlets have failed to qualify for the 2027 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) after suffering a 1-0 defeat by Ivory Coast in the semi-finals of the WAFU Zone B U-17 Championship in Burkina Faso.

The match, played at the 4th August Stadium in Ouagadougou, saw Ghana’s hopes of reaching next year’s continental tournament come to an end.

The Black Starlets had made an impressive start to the competition, finishing top of Group A with seven points from three matches.

Kasim Mingle’s side opened their campaign with a narrow 1-0 victory over Togo before recording a convincing 3-1 win against Benin.

They then drew 0-0 with hosts Burkina Faso to complete the group stage unbeaten.

However, their semi-final encounter with the Young Elephants of Ivory Coast proved a difficult test after Ghana were reduced to 10 men in the 18th minute.

Daniel Owusu was sent off, leaving the Black Starlets to play the remainder of the match with a numerical disadvantage.

Despite the setback, Ghana held their opponents at bay throughout the first half, with the teams going into the break level at 0-0.

Ivory Coast eventually broke the deadlock in the 77th minute, scoring the decisive goal to secure a place in the final.

The defeat ends Ghana’s hopes of qualifying for the U-17 AFCON, which will be hosted by Morocco in 2027.

The Black Starlets will now have to wait for another opportunity to return to the continental youth competition.