Ghana’s National U-15 Boys team finished seventh at the 2026 FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival in Azerbaijan after ending their campaign with an emphatic 4-0 victory over Colombia in the ranking play-offs.
The Black Starlets produced a strong response to their disappointing 7-1 defeat to Brazil in the Tier A Ranking Play-Offs, bouncing back with an impressive performance against Colombia to secure a seventh-place finish.
The result brought an eventful campaign to a positive conclusion for head coach Fatawu Salifu and his young squad, who recorded eight victories in ten matches, scoring 44 goals during the competition.
Ghana began the tournament in impressive fashion, winning all five of their Group W matches to finish top of the standings with a perfect record.
They opened with a 4-1 victory over Uzbekistan before recording convincing wins against Myanmar (7-1), Guam (7-0) and the Bahamas (7-0). They completed the group stage with a 2-1 victory over Kazakhstan, scoring 27 goals and conceding just three.
Their impressive form continued into the knockout stages, where they defeated Korea Republic 2-1 in the Round of 32 before producing one of their best performances of the tournament against Mexico.
The young Ghanaians secured a 5-2 victory over Mexico in the Round of 16, with Shamsudeen Sulemana scoring four goals in a remarkable individual display. Abdul Aziz Issah also found the net as Ghana advanced to the quarter-finals.
However, their hopes of reaching the semi-finals were ended by Paraguay in a dramatic encounter. The two sides played out a 2-2 draw before Ghana suffered a 7-6 defeat in the penalty shootout.
The quarter-final setback meant Ghana had to compete in the ranking play-offs to determine their final position among the tournament’s top eight teams.
They first suffered a heavy 7-1 defeat against Brazil in the Tier A Ranking Play-Offs, ending their hopes of securing fifth place.
However, Salifu’s side recovered impressively against Colombia, securing a 4-0 victory to finish seventh overall.
Across their ten matches, Ghana scored 44 goals, demonstrating their attacking strength and ability to compete against teams from different footballing backgrounds.
Sulemana emerged as one of the standout performers, particularly with his four-goal display against Mexico, while Issah also made important contributions with goals against Korea Republic, Mexico and Colombia.
Although the quarter-final defeat to Paraguay denied Ghana an opportunity to challenge for a place in the final four, their seventh-place finish represents a notable campaign for the young side.
The tournament provided valuable international exposure for the players and an opportunity to test themselves against different styles of football, with their performances in Azerbaijan offering encouragement for the continued development of the country’s next generation of footballers.
