U-17 AFCON: Black Starlets on brink of exit after painful defeat to Senegal
Ghana’s hopes of progressing at the 2026 U17 Africa Cup of Nations suffered a major setback after a narrow 1-0 defeat to Senegal in Rabat on Sunday evening.
A decisive second-half strike from Ibrahima Dione handed the defending champions their first win of the tournament and left the Black Starlets rooted to the bottom of Group D with one game remaining.
The result increases pressure on Ghana ahead of a must-win final group match against South Africa if they are to keep alive their dream of reaching the knockout stage and securing qualification for the FIFA U17 World Cup later this year.
Coming into the encounter, the Black Starlets were eager to build on an encouraging 2-2 draw against Algeria in their opening game, while Senegal were desperate to bounce back following defeat to South Africa.
Ghana made the brighter start and looked the more composed side for long spells of the match, dominating possession and creating promising attacking opportunities. Their confidence grew further after Senegal were reduced to 10 men, offering the West Africans a golden chance to seize control of the contest.
The turning point came when Ghana were awarded a penalty, but Isaac Barfo failed to convert from the spot in a moment that proved costly.
Senegal capitalised on that missed opportunity in devastating fashion. Against the run of play, they launched a swift counter-attack in the 57th minute, with Dione calmly finishing past the Ghana goalkeeper to silence the Black Starlets’ supporters.
Despite late pressure from Ghana in search of an equaliser, Senegal defended resolutely to secure all three points and revive their own qualification hopes.
Elsewhere in Group D, Algeria edged South Africa 1-0 to move to the top of the table with four points.
For Ghana, the equation is now simple but daunting, victory against South Africa in their final group game is essential to avoid an early exit from the competition.
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