Ghana’s Black Starlets are on the verge of elimination from the 2026 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations after losing 1-0 to Senegal on Sunday evening in Rabat.
Ibrahima Dione’s goal in the 57th minute of the second half gave Senegal their first victory of the competition and dropped Ghana to the bottom of Group D.
Senegal was keen for a response after losing to South Africa in their first game, while the Black Starlets went into the game seeking to improve on their opening 2-2 draw against Algeria.
Ghana dominated a significant portion of the match and produced a number of encouraging offensive possibilities, but they were unable to capitalise on their opportunities.
The pivotal moment occurred when Ghana was given a penalty after Senegal was reduced to ten men. However, Senegal was able to stay in the game after Isaac Barfo missed from the spot.
Senegal took advantage of a counterattack moments later, and Dione finished coolly to secure all three points, making the lost opportunity expensive.
Algeria advanced to the top of the standings with four points after defeating South Africa 1-0 in the other Group D game.
The outcome puts Ghana in a challenging situation going into their last group match against South Africa, where a win is necessary to maintain their chances of making it to the knockout stage and qualifying for the FIFA U17 World Cup.
Source: newsthemegh.com