Ghana: Ghana's Under-17 men's national football team, the Black Starlets, defeated South Africa in the decisive Group D encounter at the 2026 U17 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco. The match, held on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, concluded with a 3-1 victory for the Black Starlets in their final group stage game.
According to Ghana Web, this victory places Ghana 3rd in the Group D standings with 4 points, maintaining their chance to qualify for the FIFA U17 World Cup in Qatar later this year and the quarter-finals of the U17 AFCON. Senegal, leading Group D with 6 points, has secured automatic qualification to the World Cup and proceeds to the quarter-finals of the AFCON.
Currently, Algeria holds the 2nd position in the group due to alphabetical order, sharing the same 4 points and goal difference with Ghana. As per CAF rules, a coin toss will decide whether Ghana or Algeria finishes 2nd or 3rd in Group D. The team finishing 2nd will automatically qualify for the World Cup and advance to the quarter-finals of the AFCON, while the 3rd-placed team will exit the AFCON but still have a chance to qualify for the World Cup as one of the play-off teams.
In the match against South Africa, the Black Starlets scored two goals in the first half, both from spot kicks by forward Joseph Narbi. Although South Africa managed to score once in the first half, Ghana secured their 3rd goal in the second half with a strike from substitute midfielder Augustine Appiah. Achieving a 4th goal would have given Ghana a goal advantage over Algeria, ensuring their progression to the quarter-finals of the AFCON and automatic World Cup qualification.
Prior to this crucial encounter, the Black Starlets had accumulated one point from their initial two games, following a 2-2 draw against Algeria and a narrow defeat to Senegal.