Ghana’s U-15 girls’ national team, the Black Damsels, have successfully defended their crown after defeating Burkina Faso 9–8 on penalties in a thrilling final of the 2026 CAF African Schools Football Championship.
The tournament was staged in Harare, Zimbabwe, from Monday, 6 to Friday, 10 April 2026 with matches played at Gateway High School and other designated venues as part of CAF’s grassroots football development programme aimed at promoting school-level talent across the continent.
The final on Friday, 10 April 2026, ended goalless after regulation time, forcing a tense and dramatic penalty shootout in which the defending champions held their nerve to edge Burkina Faso 9–8.
The victory confirms Ghana as back-to-back champions, having also won the previous edition in 2025 in Accra, where they defeated Uganda to lift the trophy for the first time.
Ghana’s journey to the final was marked by resilience and consistency. The Black Damsels recorded a dominant 6–0 win over Guinea and a 2–1 victory against Tanzania in the group stage, before suffering a narrow 1–0 defeat to Burkina Faso earlier in the tournament.
They later bounced back in the knockout phase with a hard-fought 1–0 semi-final win over Zambia, courtesy of a decisive strike from Blessing Tetteh.
The triumph also served as a measure of redemption against Burkina Faso, who had previously defeated Ghana in the group stage and in earlier regional encounters during the WAFU B qualifiers.
Under head coach Sandra Boakye, the team once again demonstrated discipline, tactical maturity, and mental strength throughout the competition.
The Black Damsels’ latest success further cements Ghana’s growing dominance in youth women’s football on the continent and reinforces their status as one of Africa’s most consistent development success stories.
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Story by Erica Odeenyin Odoom | univers.ug.edu.gh
