{
  "id": 15785086,
  "title": "WAFU B U-17 Championship: Black Starlets miss U-17 AFCON after defeat by Ivory Coast",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/20/wafu-b-u-17-championship-black-starlets-miss-u-17-afcon-after-defeat",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-20T18:34:01.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Adom Online",
    "slug": "adom-online",
    "url": "https://www.adomonline.com/wafu-b-u-17-championship-black-starlets-miss-u-17-afcon-after-defeat-by-ivory-coast/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Ghana’s aspirations for a spot in the 2027 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) were dashed following a 1-0 defeat to Ivory Coast in the semi-finals of the WAFU Zone B U-17 Championship. The Black Starlets entered the knockout stage with a strong start, maintaining a perfect record in the group stage. They topped Group A with seven points from three matches, including victories over Togo and Benin and a draw with Burkina Faso. Ghana's tournament began with a 1-0 win over Togo, followed by a convincing 3-1 victory against Benin, and a goalless draw against Burkina Faso. However, Ivory Coast's early red card proved detrimental, forcing Ghana to play with 10 players for most of the match. Despite holding Ivory Coast to a 0-0 draw in the first half, Ivory Coast scored the lone goal in the 77th minute to secure their place in the final. This heartbreaking loss ends Ghana's hopes of qualifying for the 2027 AFCON, which will be hosted by Morocco. The Black Starlets' promising group-stage performances were not enough to overcome the setback, and they will miss out on next year's continental tournament.",
  "summary": "Ghana’s hopes of qualifying for the 2027 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) have ended after the Black Starlets suffered a 1-0 defeat by Ivory Coast in the semi-finals of the WAFU Zone B U-17 Championship in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Kasim Mingle’s side entered the last-four clash at the 4th August Stadium in strong form […]",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}