Ghana’s Black Starlets edged closer to booking their 2019 Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations place with a 2-1 win over Ivory Coast in the semifinals of the WAFU Zone B qualification Championship on Wednesday.
Coach Karim Zito’s boys had to come from behind to score two quick goals late in the first half of the game at Stade Général Seyni Kountché in Niamey.
The Ivorians capitalized on a mistake by defender Abdul Samed to record the opener through Seidu Traore on 20 minutes.
However, on the 40th minute mark, stand-in skipper Umar Mohammed pulled Ghana level with a header off a Samson Agyapong corner kick.
The Black Starlets then scored what turned out the match winner moments before the half-time whistle through Taufiq Shaibu.
Ghana played the final 15 minutes of the encounter with 10 men after Eugene Adjei Frimpong got marched off for a second yellow card.
The Black Starlets are now in the final of the WAFU B Championship awaiting either Niger or Nigeria. The winner of the competition takes the sole slot for the zone to the Under-17 AFCON to be staged in Tanzania next year.
