Ghana’s Black Starlets will be seeking to secure a place in the semi-finals of the 2026 WAFU Zone B U17 Championship when they face Benin in their second Group A match in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
Coach Kassim Ocansey’s team goes into the encounter with confidence after opening their campaign with a 1-0 victory over Togo.
David Kwarteng scored the decisive goal to hand Ghana all three points and make a positive start to the tournament.
Another victory against Benin would guarantee the Black Starlets qualification for the semi-finals with a game to spare, strengthening their bid for the title and a place at the 2027 U17 Africa Cup of Nations.
Benin, however, are expected to provide a stern test as they seek their first win of the competition. They began their campaign with a goalless draw against hosts Burkina Faso and will be eager to improve their chances of progressing to the knockout stage.
Assistant coach Hamza Mohammed has acknowledged Benin’s quality but insists Ghana are determined to achieve their objective.
“We know they will come hard, but we are focused on securing qualification to the semi-final. Benin have a very good team, we respect them, but we know who we are and what we want,” he said ahead of the match.
Ghana will look to build on the confidence gained from their opening victory while improving their finishing after creating several scoring opportunities against Togo but converting only one.
The WAFU Zone B U17 Championship serves as a qualifying competition for the 2027 U17 Africa Cup of Nations.
