Ghana’s Black Maidens suffered their first defeat in the WAFU-B U-17 Girls Cup after losing 4-2 to Nigeria in their second match of the competition at the Lycée Scientifique.
The defending champions had started their title defence on a strong note with a convincing 4-0 victory over Burkina Faso, but they were unable to maintain their winning run against a determined Nigerian side.
Nigeria opened the scoring in the 33rd minute before doubling their advantage in first-half stoppage time to take a 2-0 lead into the break.
Ghana responded after the interval, with captain Seidatu Wahab reducing the deficit in the 67th minute through a direct free kick following a foul that resulted in Nigeria receiving a red card.
Nigeria, however, continued to find opportunities despite being a player down and restored their two-goal lead in the 72nd minute.
The Super Falconets added what appeared to be another goal shortly after their third, but the effort was ruled out for offside. They eventually scored their confirmed fourth goal in the 83rd minute through a free kick after Ghana goalkeeper Josephine Nyanfule was replaced by Belinda Maku Aklie.
Ghana continued to fight until the final whistle, with Gloria Ameaa scoring in the 90th minute to make it 4-2, but Nigeria held on to secure all three points.
The result leaves Ghana with three points from their opening two matches as the Black Maidens continue their campaign in a new-look WAFU-B U-17 Girls Cup format.
Following the withdrawal of Benin, the competition is being played in a league format, with the champion to be determined by the final standings after all matches are completed on September 27, 2026. The team with the highest number of points will be crowned WAFU Zone B U-17 Girls Champion, with standard football tiebreakers applied if teams finish level on points.
The tournament also serves as the qualification pathway for the 2027 U-17 Girls Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), with the top two teams expected to secure qualification slots from the WAFU Zone B region.
The Black Maidens will now turn their attention to their remaining fixtures, beginning with a clash against Togo on Monday, September 21 at 6:00pm at the Lycée Scientifique. Ghana will then face Niger on Thursday, September 24 at 2:00pm, before concluding their group campaign against Côte d’Ivoire on Saturday, September 27 at 6:00pm, with both matches also scheduled for the Lycée Scientifique.
Ghana will be hoping to return to winning ways in their remaining matches as they aim to defend their WAFU-B U-17 Girls Cup title and secure qualification for the 2027 U-17 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.
