The Black Maidens of Ghana secured qualification for the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup after defeating Senegal 7-6 on penalties in a dramatic qualifier on Saturday at the Accra Sports Stadium.
The Black Maidens are now drawn in Group C alongside Brazil, Canada and Norway for the tournament in Morocco later this year.
The Black Maidens booked their place at the global showpiece after a tightly contested two-legged tie against Senegal finished 2-2 on aggregate.
Both the first leg in Senegal and the return fixture at the Accra Sports Stadium ended 1-1, forcing the contest into a penalty shootout.
Backed by the home crowd, Ghana started strongly in the second leg and created several chances in search of a breakthrough, but Senegal matched the hosts in a fiercely contested encounter.
With neither side able to gain an advantage after regulation time, the tie went straight to penalties.
Both teams showed composure from the spot before the shootout entered sudden death, where Ghana emerged 7-6 winners to spark celebrations among players, coaches and supporters.
The victory marks another appearance for the Black Maidens on the world stage and extends Ghana’s tradition of competing at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
Ghana would seek to advance from a group featuring three of the strongest teams in women’s youth football.
The Black Maidens are expected to begin preparations for the competition in the coming weeks as they target a strong showing against their Group C rivals.
GNA
