Ghana’s Black Starlets suffered a 1-0 defeat to Senegal in their second Group D match at the 2026 U17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco.

The Black Starlets appeared to have made a strong start after Eric Adu Gyamfi found the back of the net in the opening minutes of the game. However, the goal was disallowed following a Video Support Review decision.

Despite the setback, Ghana continued to press forward and controlled large parts of the first half with several attacking moves against the Senegalese defence.

Senegal were later reduced to ten men following a red card incident, giving Ghana a numerical advantage for a significant period of the match.

Ghana was handed another major opportunity to take the lead after Mark Aboagye was fouled inside the penalty area. Isaac Barfo stepped up to take the penalty, but failed to convert the chance.

Senegal adopted a more defensive approach in the second half and relied mainly on counterattacks. The defending champions capitalised on one of their attacking breaks to score the only goal of the match.

The Black Starlets continued to search for an equaliser until the final whistle but were unable to break down the Senegalese defence.

The result leaves Ghana with work to do in the group ahead of their final group match against South Africa.

Victory in the final game could secure qualification to the FIFA U17 World Cup in Qatar later this year.