Black Starlets one win from U-17 AFCON as Côte d'Ivoire await
Update, October 20: The Black Starlets lost the semi-final 1-0 to Côte d'Ivoire after Daniel Owusu was sent off in the 17th minute, and will miss the 2027 U-17 AFCON.
Ghana's Black Starlets are one win away from a place at the 2027 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations. Kassim Ocansey's side will face Côte d'Ivoire in the semi-finals of the WAFU Zone B U-17 Championship in Ouagadougou, and both finalists will qualify for the continental tournament.
Unbeaten in the group
Ghana completed the group stage unbeaten after a goalless draw with hosts Burkina Faso on Friday. With their semi-final place already secured, Ocansey made seven changes for that game, according to GhanaSoccernet, but his side still kept a clean sheet.
The Starlets finished top of Group A with seven points, having beaten Togo 1-0 and Benin 3-1 earlier in the tournament. They scored four goals and conceded only one across their three matches, the GFA said.
Ivorian test
Côte d'Ivoire secured second place in Group B after a 1-1 draw with Nigeria on Saturday, setting up the semi-final against Ghana.
Three targets
After the win over Benin, Ocansey told MyJoyOnline that his side arrived in Ouagadougou with three targets: reach the semi-finals, qualify for AFCON by reaching the final, and win the trophy.
The 2027 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations will be held in Morocco in April and May, according to MyJoyOnline.
Photo: kyselak / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0