Black Starlets miss out on 2027 U-17 AFCON after defeat to Ivory Coast

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

The defeat at the 4th August Stadium in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, ended Ghana’s hopes of reaching the regional tournament final and competing at the continental showpiece in Morocco.

The Black Starlets entered the semi-final unbeaten after collecting seven points from three matches to finish top of Group A.

Ghana began their campaign with a narrow 1-0 victory over Togo before recording an impressive 3-1 win against Benin. They then played out a goalless draw against hosts Burkina Faso in their final group fixture to secure first place.

However, their progress was halted by an Ivory Coast side that finished second in Group B after drawing 1-1 with Nigeria.

Head coach Kassim Ocansey and his technical team had stressed the importance of the semi-final, with Ocansey describing the fixture as more significant than the final because of the stakes involved.

Despite their strong group-stage performances, Ghana were unable to overcome their West African rivals, with the narrow defeat bringing their campaign to a disappointing end.

The result represents a setback for the Black Starlets, who had hoped to return to the continental stage after showing promise in the group phase.

Ghana will now turn their attention to future youth competitions as they seek to build on the experience gained from the tournament.