Ghana: Ghana's Black Starlets surrendered a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 with Algeria in their opening Group D match at the 2026 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations on Thursday evening. The match took place at the Mohammed VI Football Academy, where Ghana initially dominated the early stages.
According to Ghana Web, Gavi Yao opened the scoring for Ghana in the third minute by taking advantage of a mistake from the Algerian goalkeeper. Eric Gyamfi extended Ghana's lead in the 10th minute with a remarkable long-range chip. These early goals gave Ghana a comfortable lead heading into halftime.
However, Algeria responded strongly in the second half. Adam Benali scored in the 57th minute, assisted by Mahdi Maghlout, and Zaidi equalized three minutes later. Algeria's comeback nearly saw them take the lead when they were awarded a penalty in the 67th minute, but Ilyas Grini's shot went over the crossbar.
Both teams continued to seek a winner in the final minutes, but the match ended in a draw. This result leaves Ghana with one point in their opening Group D match, as they prepare to face Senegal next.