BY ISSAH OLEGOR
Ghana’s U-17 national team, the Black Starlets, concluded their campaign at the WAFU Zone B U-17 Championship with a disappointing fourth-place finish, losing 2-0 to hosts Burkina Faso in the third-place play-off.
The defeat marked a bitter end to Ghana’s tournament, as they had earlier missed out on a spot in the final following a 1-0 semi-final loss to Côte d’Ivoire.
Despite finishing top of Group A unbeaten with seven points from three matches, the Black Starlets were unable to replicate their group stage form in the knockout stage.
Ghana had begun the tournament on a high note, securing a 1-0 win over Togo, followed by a 3-1 victory over Benin and a 0-0 draw with Burkina Faso in their final group match.
The fourth-place finish means Ghana will miss out on a spot at the 2027 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, a disappointing outcome for a team that had high hopes for the tournament.
