Black Starlets head coach Kassim Ocansey has described Ghana’s semi-final clash against Ivory Coast at the 2026 WAFU Zone B U17 Championship as more important than the tournament final, insisting that qualification for the 2027 U17 Africa Cup of Nations is the team’s primary objective.

Ghana will face Ivory Coast on Tuesday at the 4th August Stadium in Ouagadougou, with kick-off scheduled for 16:00 GMT. The winner will secure a place in the final and, more importantly, book a ticket to the continental showpiece in Morocco.

Speaking ahead of the crucial encounter, Ocansey stressed the importance of the fixture, explaining that failure to win would undermine the team’s efforts throughout the competition.

“We’ve prepared very well for this game. This game is more important than even the final. Because the team that wins this game qualifies for the AFCON. If you don’t win here, whatever you have done in the tournament becomes Cos 90. So, we’ve prepared very well for it.”

The Ghana coach also revealed that his technical team had closely studied the Ivorians, assessing their strengths and weaknesses ahead of the decisive showdown.

“We’ve watched them (Ivory Coast). We have seen their strengths and weaknesses and we have prepared for the game. They are not a bad side but In Sha Allah, we will beat them to qualify for the AFCON.”

The Black Starlets enter the semi-final unbeaten after topping Group A with seven points from three matches. They opened their campaign with a 1-0 victory over Togo, defeated Benin 3-1 and played out a goalless draw against hosts Burkina Faso.

Ivory Coast, meanwhile, finished second in Group B after drawing 1-1 with Nigeria. With a place at the 2027 U17 AFCON at stake, Ocansey and his players will be determined to overcome the Ivorians and keep Ghana’s continental qualification hopes alive.