Ghana: Ghana's Under-17 men's national football team, the Black Starlets, triumphed over South Africa in the decisive Group D encounter at the 2026 U17 Africa Cup of Nations held in Morocco. The match, which took place on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, saw the Black Starlets winning by 3 goals to 1, marking the final game of the group stage.
According to Ghana Web, the victory places Ghana 3rd on the Group D table with 4 points, keeping their hopes alive for qualifying for the FIFA U17 World Cup in Qatar later this year and advancing to the quarter-finals of the U17 AFCON. Senegal, which topped Group D with 6 points, secured automatic qualification to the World Cup and moved forward to the quarter-finals of the AFCON.
Algeria currently holds the 2nd position on the table due to alphabetical order, sharing the same points (4 points) and goal difference (1 goal) as Ghana. Per CAF rules, a coin toss will determine who finishes 2nd or 3rd in Group D. The team in 2nd place will earn automatic qualification to the World Cup and proceed to the quarter-finals of the AFCON. Meanwhile, the 3rd-placed team would exit the AFCON but still has a chance to qualify for the World Cup as one of the play-off teams.
Ghana's victory was cemented by two first-half goals from forward Joseph Narbi, both scored from spot kicks. Although South Africa managed to score one goal in the first half, substitute midfielder Augustine Appiah sealed the win for Ghana with a third goal in the second half. A fourth goal for Ghana would have given them a goal advantage over Algeria, securing their place in the quarter-finals of the AFCON and automatic qualification for the World Cup.
The Black Starlets entered the game with one point from their opening two matches, following a 2-2 draw against Algeria and a narrow defeat to Senegal.