Black Starlets captain Issah Abdul Rafiu has admitted that Ghana’s semi-final defeat to Ivory Coast at the 2026 WAFU Zone B U17 Championship has been difficult to accept, with the team’s failure to secure qualification for the 2027 U17 Africa Cup of Nations leaving the players disappointed.

The national U17 side suffered a narrow 1-0 loss to the Ivorians after defender Daniel Owusu was sent off in the 17th minute, forcing the Black Starlets to play with 10 men for the remainder of the encounter. Alex Fousseni Bamba scored the decisive goal in the 76th minute, ending Ghana’s hopes of reaching the final and booking a ticket to the continental tournament in Morocco.

Reflecting on the painful exit, Issah said the team had arrived in Burkina Faso with the clear objective of qualifying for the AFCON, making the manner of their defeat particularly difficult to process.

“It’s really been hard to take. We came to this tournament to secure qualification to the AFCON and the way we lost to Ivory Coast has really been hard to take.”

The captain revealed that he has been working to lift the mood in the dressing room and encourage his teammates to move beyond the disappointment as they prepare for the third-place playoff against hosts Burkina Faso.

“As the leader of the team, I have ben engaging my colleagues to put that behind us and focus on the bronze medal. But it’s really been hard to take.”

Despite the setback, the Black Starlets have an opportunity to end their campaign on a positive note when they face Burkina Faso on Friday. The team will be eager to respond to the semi-final defeat by claiming the bronze medal and giving their supporters something to celebrate.

For Issah, the immediate challenge is to help his teammates overcome their disappointment, regain their focus and finish the tournament strongly, even though their primary target of AFCON qualification has slipped away.