Ghana’s Black Maidens have secured qualification for the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup after defeating Senegal 7-6 on penalties in a dramatic second-leg encounter at the Accra Sports Stadium.
The result capped an intense two-legged contest that finished 2-2 on aggregate, with both the first leg in Senegal and the return fixture in Accra ending 1-1.
The tie was eventually decided in a tense penalty shootout, where the Black Maidens held their nerve to book their place on the world stage.
Backed by a passionate home crowd, Ghana started brightly and created several promising opportunities in search of an early breakthrough.
Senegal, however, proved resilient and matched the hosts in a fiercely contested encounter.
With the aggregate score level after regulation time, the match went straight to penalties, where both sides displayed remarkable composure from the spot.
The shootout went into sudden death before the Black Maidens emerged 7-6 winners, sparking jubilant celebrations among the players, technical team and supporters.
The victory sees Ghana return to the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, continuing the Black Maidens’ proud tradition of competing among the world’s best youth teams.
The team will now shift its focus to preparations for the global tournament as they look to make another strong impression on the international stage.
