Ghana’s Black Starlets endured heartbreak in the final of the 2025 WAFU Zone B U-17 Boys Championship after suffering a 4-3 penalty shootout defeat to hosts Côte d’Ivoire at the Charles Konan Banny Stadium in Yamoussoukro.
The highly competitive clash ended goalless in regulation time, forcing the contest into a tense shootout.
The Ivorians, backed by a raucous home crowd, held their nerve to convert four spot-kicks, while Ghana missed one crucial attempt that proved decisive.
The result means the Starlets, who had grown in confidence after eliminating Nigeria 2-0 in the semi-final, fell short at the final hurdle despite an improved display from their group-stage defeat to the same opposition.
In the earlier meeting, Côte d’Ivoire had handed Ghana a 3-0 loss, but this time the boys showed resilience to push the hosts all the way.
Despite the narrow defeat, Ghana’s campaign featured some bright spots, including qualifying for next year’s U-17 Africa Cup of Nations.
