Ghana's Black Starlets restore key men for a do-or-die WAFU B U-17 semi-final against Ivory Coast, with a continental ticket on the line.
Ghana are going all in. With a place in the final and a spot at the 2027 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations on the line, coach Kassim Ocansey has recalled several of his leading Black Starlets for Tuesday afternoon's WAFU Zone B semi-final against Ivory Coast in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
Playmaker Abdu Latif Wunzalgu is among the returnees. Ocansey rotated heavily during the group stage, including for the final Group A game against hosts Burkina Faso, resting seven players who had started the 3-1 win over Benin. Now six of those seven are back in the XI for the knockout test.
Bless Dogah keeps his place in goal, protected by a back four of Benedict Tano, Daniel Owusu, Abdul Rafiu Issah and Osman Hamid. Hamid returns to the defence after missing the Burkina Faso match.
In midfield, Yaw Acheampong is back and will line up alongside Rushid Swallah, Wunzalgu and Nii Odoi Tawiah. That quartet carries the job of helping Ghana control possession and dictate the tempo against a tough Ivorian side.
The message from the dugout is clear: the experiments are over. Win, and Ghana are in the final with a continental berth in sight. Lose, and the road to the 2027 tournament gets a lot harder.
