Ghana’s Black Maidens have secured qualification to the 2027 FIFA U-17 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) after finishing among the top two teams at the WAFU-B U-17 Girls Cup in Côte d’Ivoire.
The Black Maidens ended their campaign in style with a convincing 4-0 victory over hosts Côte d’Ivoire at the Stade Lycée Scientifique, sealing their place among the region’s representatives for the continental tournament.
Goalkeeper Belinda Maku Aklie started in post for Ghana as Captain Seidatu Wahab opened the scoring in the 14th minute. After seeing her penalty saved by the Côte d’Ivoire goalkeeper, Wahab reacted quickly to convert the rebound and register her fifth goal of the tournament, making her one of the competition’s leading scorers.
Gloria Adomako Ameaa doubled Ghana’s advantage in the 31st minute, taking her tally to four goals before adding another in the 80th minute after an assist from Philipa Asana Mannebe to complete her personal tally at five goals.
Substitute Cynthia Obinserwuo added Ghana’s fourth goal in the 88th minute to round off an impressive final performance from the Black Maidens.
As part of a new innovation introduced by WAFU-B for the final matchday, all matches were followed by penalty shootouts regardless of the final score to help players gain experience and confidence in penalty situations, which often play a decisive role in major competitions.
Côte d’Ivoire won the post-match penalty shootout 5-3, but Ghana’s victory on the pitch ensured the Black Maidens finished the competition strongly and secured their qualification spot.
The qualification comes as part of Ghana’s preparations towards the 2027 U-17 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, with the top two teams from the WAFU-B zone earning places at the continental tournament.
The Black Maidens’ campaign also saw strong individual performances, with Seidatu Wahab and Gloria Adomako Ameaa finishing among the tournament’s leading scorers with five goals each.
