Ghana's quest to secure a spot in the U-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) was thwarted once again following a disappointing defeat to Burkina Faso in the semi-finals of the WAFU B Championship on Saturday.

The host nation began the match with confidence and control, but their dominance was short-lived. Burkina Faso quickly adapted, challenging Ghana for every ball and implementing an effective long-ball strategy in the first half.

A crucial error by Ghanaian goalkeeper Emmanuel Armah in the 12th minute allowed Burkina Faso's Tapsoba to open the scoring.

Despite this early setback, Ghana fought back and equalized through Joseph Narbi, who brilliantly curled the ball into the top corner from the edge of the penalty area.

The second half mirrored the first, with Burkina Faso capitalizing on a moment of indecision by the Ghanaian defense to net their second goal in the 48th minute.

Tapsoba's second strike of the day put Ghana in an uncompromising situation as they needed to push in search of redemption but it was not forthcoming.

Despite their best efforts, Ghana could not bridge the deficit. Burkina Faso held on to their lead, securing a well-deserved place in the final of the competition.

Ghana, meanwhile, must regroup and continue their pursuit of a U-17 AFCON appearance in future tournaments.