Black Starlets miss out on U-17 World Cup

Ghana’s Black Starlets will miss the FIFA U-17 World Cup for the fourth consecutive time after suffering a painful defeat to Uganda in a playoff match last Saturday.

Despite Africa securing 10 qualification slots for the expanded tournament in Qatar, the Black Starlets failed to book a place after losing 8-7 on penalties to the East Africans.

Coach Prosper Narteh Ogum’s side had earlier missed out on a quarter-final spot at the ongoing U-17 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco after finishing third in their group.

Ghana ended the group stage on the same number of points and goal difference as Algeria, with the two sides eventually separated through balloting, which favoured the North Africans.

That outcome forced the Black Starlets into a playoff encounter against Uganda for a final chance to qualify for the World Cup.

Ghana made a bright start to the match, taking the lead in the early stages of the first half. However, Uganda responded before the break to restore parity.

After recess, the Black Starlets once again moved ahead but were unable to protect their advantage. Deep into additional time, Uganda was awarded a penalty, which they converted to level the scores.

With the game ending in a draw, the tie was decided through a penalty shootout, where Uganda emerged victorious with an 8-7 win.

The defeat means Ghana will once again be absent from the global tournament, extending their long wait for a return to the U-17 World Cup stage.

Countries that have secured qualification for the tournament include Morocco, Cameroon, Senegal, Mali, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Tanzania, Algeria, Mozambique and Uganda.