The Black Starlets continued their impressive campaign in the WAFU Zone B U17 Championship with a convincing 3-1 victory over Benin, thanks to a brace from striker Alidu Issah.

Kassim Ocansey’s side made a flying start to the encounter, with striker Alidu Issah opening the scoring just four minutes into the game. The forward doubled Ghana’s advantage four minutes later with another excellent finish, putting coach his side firmly in control of the contest.

However, Ghana’s concentration dipped as the game progressed, allowing Benin to pull a goal back in the 31st minute and reduce the deficit to 2-1. The goal gave the Beninese renewed hope as they sought to fight their way back into the encounter.

After the break, Coach Kassim Ocansey introduced Benedict Tano, Prince Apam, Stephen Gyasi, Nii Odoi Tawiah and Daniel Owusu in a bid to inject fresh energy into the team. Ghana remained composed under pressure, opting to build from the back while resisting Benin’s attempts to find an equaliser.

The Black Starlets eventually sealed the victory in the 81st minute when Nii Odoi Tawiah restored Ghana’s two-goal advantage. Prince Apam did well to turn away from his marker before setting up Tawiah, who finished clinically to make it 3-1 and put the result beyond doubt.

The victory confirms Ghana’s qualification for the semi-finals with a game to spare, underlining their strong start to the competition. The Black Starlets will now turn their attention to their final Group A fixture against hosts Burkina Faso on Friday, October 16, as they seek to maintain their winning momentum heading into the knockout stage.

GFA COMMUNICATIONS