Black Starlets head coach Kassim Ocansey has assured Ghanaians that his side will bounce back from their semi-final defeat to Ivory Coast when they face Burkina Faso in the third-place playoff of the 2026 WAFU Zone B U17 Championship on Friday.

Ghana suffered a painful 1-0 loss to the Ivorians in Tuesday’s semi-final after defender Daniel Owusu was sent off in the 17th minute, forcing the Black Starlets to play most of the encounter with 10 men. Alex Fousseni Bamba scored the decisive goal in the 76th minute to send Ivory Coast into the final and secure their qualification for the 2027 U17 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.

Despite the disappointment, Ocansey remains confident in his team’s ability and has challenged his players to demonstrate their quality when they take on the hosts, Burkina Faso, with the bronze medal at stake.

“We will play for all to know that no team can beat us with 11 v 11. You will have to reduce our numbers before you can defeat us. In our final group game with Burkina Faso, we rested 7 of our key players and that game ended in a draw.”

Kassim Ocansey also revealed that several players who were rested during the final Group A match against Burkina Faso would be available for Friday’s encounter, giving his side renewed confidence ahead of the rematch.

“This time around, about 4 or 5 of them will be ready for Burkina Faso and we will show what we have. We’ll improve against Burkina Faso on Friday. We’ve motivated the boys and if they respond the way they’ve been training always, we will go home with the bronze medal.”

Ghana played out a goalless draw against Burkina Faso in their final group-stage fixture after making seven changes to the starting lineup, having already secured qualification for the semi-finals. The Black Starlets had earlier defeated Togo 1-0 and Benin 3-1 to finish top of Group A with seven points.

The third-place playoff offers Ocansey’s side an opportunity to end their campaign on a positive note after missing out on the final and their primary objective of qualifying for the 2027 U17 AFCON. The Black Starlets will now look to respond to their semi-final setback by overcoming the hosts and securing the bronze medal.