The Black Starlets will secure a place at the 2027 U17 Africa Cup of Nations if they beat Ivory Coast in the semi-finals of the 2026 WAFU Zone B U17 Championship on Tuesday.

The decisive match will begin at 16:00 GMT at the 4th August Stadium in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Victory would send Ghana into the regional tournament final and guarantee qualification for the continental competition in Morocco.

Ghana have gone unbeaten in the tournament and finished top of Group A with seven points from three matches. They opened their campaign with a 1-0 win against Togo before defeating Benin 3-1.

Their final group game ended in a goalless draw against hosts Burkina Faso, a result which was enough to secure first place.

Head coach Kassim Ocansey and his technical staff have used the build-up to assess Ivory Coast and prepare the squad for a match carrying significant consequences. Ocansey says preparations have progressed well and believes his players are ready for the challenge.

The Ghana coach has placed particular importance on the semi-final, saying the fixture matters even more than the final because qualification for the 2027 U17 Africa Cup of Nations is at stake.

Ghana’s immediate task is to overcome an Ivory Coast side that finished second in Group B. The Ivorians reached the last four after drawing 1-1 with Nigeria.

The semi-final will therefore bring together an unbeaten Ghana team and an Ivory Coast side seeking a place in the final and a route to the continental tournament.

For the Black Starlets, the objective is clear: preserve their unbeaten record, defeat Ivory Coast and confirm Ghana’s participation among Africa’s leading youth football nations at the 2027 U17 Africa Cup of Nations.