The Black Starlets made a blistering start in Rabat but were forced to withstand a fierce Algerian comeback in a dramatic U-17 encounter that ended with nerves stretched on both benches.
Ghana needed only three minutes to announce themselves when Yao Gavi Robinho fired the Black Starlets into the lead after a bright opening spell. The early breakthrough handed Ghana control and confidence as they pushed Algeria onto the back foot.
Seven minutes later, the Black Starlets produced the moment of the match. Eric Adu Gyamfi unleashed a stunning long-range strike that flew beyond the Algerian goalkeeper to double Ghana’s advantage and leave the North Africans stunned.
At 2-0 up inside ten minutes, Ghana dictated possession and tempo for the remainder of the first half, looking comfortable as Algeria struggled to contain the pace and movement of the Black Starlets attack going into the break.
But the second half brought a completely different contest.
Algeria found renewed energy after recess and pulled one back in the 57th minute through Benali, giving the hosts belief of an unlikely comeback. Just three minutes later, Algeria struck again to level the score at 2-2, turning the game on its head and silencing the Ghanaian bench.
The drama intensified in the 65th minute when Algeria were awarded a penalty after a VAR review. It presented the perfect opportunity for the North Africans to complete the turnaround, but the resulting spot-kick was missed a minute later, allowing Ghana to escape with the score still level.
After dominating the opening stages, the Black Starlets were left frustrated by a second-half collapse, while Algeria showed tremendous resilience to claw their way back into the contest in Rabat.
