Ghana’s Black Starlets have been eliminated from qualification for the 2027 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations after losing 1-0 to Cote d’Ivoire in the semi-finals of the 2026 WAFU Zone B U-17 Championship.
The result also ends Ghana’s hopes of reaching the 2027 FIFA U-17 World Cup, with the semi-final serving as a direct qualification decider. Cote d’Ivoire’s victory secured their place at the continental tournament in Morocco, while Ghana’s campaign came to an end.
The match was played on Tuesday in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, with Ghana entering the last-four tie unbeaten and having finished top of Group A.
The Black Starlets collected seven points from their three group matches. They began with a 1-0 win over Togo before beating Benin 3-1.
Ghana then played out a goalless draw with hosts Burkina Faso, a result which confirmed their place in the semi-finals.
However, they were unable to continue that run against Cote d’Ivoire, who scored the only goal of the match to claim the victory required to progress and qualify for the 2027 U-17 AFCON.
The defeat represents a significant setback for Ghana’s youth football programme and ends the team’s hopes of returning to both the continental and global stages in the next cycle.
Ghana have a strong record at the FIFA U-17 World Cup, having won the competition in 1991 and 1995. The Black Starlets will now have to wait for another qualifying campaign for an opportunity to return to the U-17 AFCON and FIFA U-17 World Cup.
