Monrovia – Liberia’s Under-17 Women’s National Team saw their FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup qualifying campaign come to a disappointing end on Saturday following a 2-0 home defeat to Ghana, who progressed to the final round with an emphatic 8-0 aggregate victory.
By Christopher C. Walker christopherc.walker@frontpageafricaonline.com
Trailing 6-0 from the first leg in Accra, Head Coach Sekou Degeorges Manubah’s side entered the return fixture at the Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex knowing they faced a near-impossible mountain to climb against one of West Africa’s youth football powerhouses.
The Black Maidens of Ghana took control of the tie early, breaking the deadlock in the first half through Seidatu Wahab. Her clinical strike gave Ghana a 1-0 lead and widened the aggregate gulf to 7-0.
The Junior Lone Star girls attempted to respond but consistently struggled to breach a highly disciplined Ghanaian defense. While Liberia showed flashes of determination throughout the opening period, they failed to create clear-cut opportunities before the interval.
The physical nature of the contest saw Liberia’s Hawa Kromah pick up a yellow card shortly before halftime as the visitors carried their 1-0 advantage into the break.
Second-Half Struggle
Following the restart, Coach Manubah adjusted his tactical setup to bolster Liberia’s attacking play, but Ghana’s midfield continued to dictate the tempo of the match.
The visitors put the tie completely out of reach in the 67th minute. A costly goalkeeping error by Liberia’s Patience Taye allowed the Ghanaian attack to capitalize and double their lead to 2-0.
The goal effectively extinguished any lingering hopes of a Liberian consolation and extended the aggregate scoreline to a bruising 8-0.
Frustrations began to show late in the game, with Liberia’s Mavies Cole also ending up in the referee’s book as the home side battled on despite the definitive scoreline. Following four minutes of added time, the central referee blew the final whistle, confirming Ghana’s qualification to the next stage of the qualification series.
Building for the Future
Despite the heavy aggregate defeat, Coach Manubah praised his players for their resilience and commitment under tough circumstances.
“I am proud of the team, though it was unfortunate that we lost 2-0 today,” Manubah said during his post-match press conference.
“We played against a very experienced side, but our girls didn’t give up.”
The Liberian coach noted that while Liberia’s World Cup dream ends here, the qualifiers provided invaluable international exposure for the country’s emerging female talents, many of whom were competing on the continental stage for the first time.
For Ghana, the dominant two-legged performance re-emphasizes their status as favourites to secure one of the coveted African slots for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
