Black Starlets thrash Ivory Coast 4-0 to bounce back in friendly

Ghana’s U-17 side, the Black Starlets, produced an impressive display to beat Ivory Coast’s Young Elephants 4-0 in the second leg of their international friendly at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium.

The emphatic victory marked a strong response after their 2-0 defeat in the first meeting, with the Starlets showing improved sharpness and attacking efficiency.

Ghana made a fast start and took the lead in the fifth minute when Michael Awuli finished from close range after a well-worked set-piece involving Gavi.

The visitors remained in control and doubled their advantage just before halftime, as Mark Aboagye showed individual quality to beat his marker and fire home.

After the break, Ghana continued to dominate and extended the lead through Gavi, who calmly finished following a move involving Nyantakyi and Mujahid.

The Starlets sealed the result late on when Clement capitalised on a defensive mistake to score the fourth.

The result highlighted Ghana’s improvement in front of goal and serves as a major boost ahead of the upcoming U-17 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, where Black Starlets will face Senegal, South Africa and Algeria in the group stage.