By Kwame Bediako
Ghana’s Black Starlets have been denied a place at the 2026 FIFA U‑17 World Cup after losing 8–7 to Uganda in a penalty shoot‑out in their decisive playoff clash, following a 2–2 draw after regulation time. The heartbreak came despite a brave comeback and a battling performance that kept Ghana in the contest until the very end.
Ghana made a dream start when teenage forward Eric Gyamfi pounced in the 9th minute, rifling the ball through the legs of Uganda goalkeeper Lukyamuzi to put the Black Starlets in front. Uganda shifted to a back‑three, changed the game’s momentum, and equalised on 33 minutes when captain Owen Mukise curled a stunning goal directly from a corner.
In the second half, Uganda went close immediately when John Owino crashed the ball against the crossbar, but Ghana levelled again on the counter through Abdul Latif, whose close‑range finish followed a clever dummy by Clement Agyei. The decider came late in added time, when the referee awarded Uganda a penalty for a handball by right‑back Nicholas Asumang; Ibanda Arafat calmly converted to make it 2–2 and send the tie to penalties.
Ahead of the shoot‑out, Ghana coach Prosper Ogum replaced goalkeeper John Annan with Michael Armah and brought on Mark Mensah for Asumang, but the tactical swaps could not prevent Uganda from winning the shootout 8–7. The result sends Uganda to Qatar for only their second‑ever U‑17 World Cup appearance, while Ghana’s campaign ends in painful elimination, marking the end of the Black Starlets’ latest World Cup qualification quest.
