The Black Starlets produced a spirited performance to defeat South Africa 3-1 in their final Group D match at the 2026 U17 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, but were unlucky after Ghana narrowly missed out on second place through the drawing of lots.
The Starlets started the game brightly and took an early lead through captain Joseph Narbi, who calmly converted from the penalty spot after Abdul Latif Wunzalgu was brought down in the penalty area by a South African defender in full view of the referee.
The Black Starlets continued to pile pressure on the South Africans, with Abdul Latif once again causing problems for the opposition defense. The winger twisted and turned his marker inside the box before unleashing a drive that struck the hand of a defender, earning Ghana a second penalty of the evening.
Captain Narbi stepped up once more and converted expertly to double Ghana’s advantage and put the Black Starlets firmly in control of the contest.
Ghana nearly increased the tally before halftime through Robinho Yao Gavi, but the South African goalkeeper reacted brilliantly to deny the striker.
South Africa returned from the break with renewed urgency and committed more men forward in attack. Their persistence paid off when they pulled a goal back a few minutes into the second half to set up a tense period in the game.
However, the Black Starlets responded positively to the setback and restored their two-goal cushion through substitute Augustine Appiah, who fired home a blistering strike to make it 3-1 for Ghana.
The Black Starlets continued to create chances and could have added more goals to the scoreline. Gavi Robinho was presented with two clear opportunities but failed to convert, with one effort saved by the goalkeeper and another going straight at the shot stopper despite being one-on-one.
At the final whistle, Ghana’s impressive victory moved the Black Starlets onto the same number of points as Algeria. Both teams also finished with identical goals scored and goals conceded records, forcing tournament officials to resort to the drawing of lots to determine second place in the group.
Unfortunately for Ghana, Algeria won the draw and secured second place, leaving the Black Starlets in third position despite their impressive victory over South Africa.
The Black Starlets will now go into a play-off as they continue their pursuit of qualification to the FIFA U17 World Cup in Qatar later this year.
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