Black Starlets miss out on U-17 AFCON after semi-final defeat to Côte d’Ivoire

Ghana’s Black Starlets have missed out on qualification for the 2027 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations after suffering a 1-0 defeat to Côte d’Ivoire in the semi-finals of the 2026 WAFU Zone B U-17 Championship.

The Starlets’ hopes of reaching the final and securing a place at next year’s continental tournament were dashed after playing much of the match with 10 men following Daniel Owusu’s red card in the 17th minute.

Ghana battled to stay in the contest despite their numerical disadvantage, but Côte d’Ivoire eventually found the breakthrough in the 77th minute to seal the victory and book their place in the final.

The defeat ends Ghana’s campaign in the regional competition and denies the team an opportunity to qualify for the 2027 U-17 AFCON in Morocco through the tournament.

The Black Starlets had entered the semi-final unbeaten, finishing top of Group A with seven points from three matches after victories over Togo and Benin, followed by a goalless draw against hosts Burkina Faso.

However, the loss to their West African rivals means Ghana will have to regroup after falling short of their primary objective of securing qualification for the continental showpiece.