Ghana’s Black Starlets are on the brink of elimination from the 2026 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations after suffering a 1-0 defeat to Senegal on Sunday evening in Rabat.
A second-half goal from Ibrahima Dione in the 57th minute handed Senegal their first win of the tournament and left Ghana bottom of Group D.
The Black Starlets entered the match hoping to build on their opening 2-2 draw against Algeria, while Senegal were desperate for a response following defeat to South Africa in their first game.
Ghana dominated large periods of the encounter and created several promising attacking opportunities but failed to make their chances count.
The turning point came after Senegal were reduced to 10 men, when Ghana were awarded a penalty. Isaac Barfo, however, missed from the spot, allowing Senegal to stay in the game.
The missed opportunity proved costly as Senegal capitalized on a counter-attack moments later, with Dione calmly finishing to secure all three points.
In the other Group D match, Algeria defeated South Africa 1-0 to move to the top of the standings with four points.
The result leaves Ghana in a difficult position ahead of their final group game against South Africa, where victory will be required to keep their hopes of reaching the knockout stage and securing qualification for the FIFA U17 World Cup alive.