Ghana’s Black Meteors suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat to Libya in the first leg of their CAF U-23 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier at the Benina Martyrs Stadium in Benghazi on Wednesday, November 11, 2026.

The encounter was a difficult contest for coach Desmond Ofei’s side, who struggled to impose themselves during the opening exchanges as Libya created some early scares and kept the Ghanaian defence under pressure.

The Black Meteors gradually grew into the game but failed to convert their opportunities, with both sides heading into the break goalless after a closely contested first half.

Ghana’s task became considerably more difficult in the 55th minute when defender Antwi Dacosta was sent off, reducing the visitors to 10 men and shifting the momentum in Libya’s favour.

The hosts capitalised on their numerical advantage to score the decisive goal, handing Ghana a narrow defeat ahead of the return encounter.

Despite the setback, the Black Meteors remain in contention, with attention now turning to the second leg scheduled for Tuesday, November 17, at the Accra Sports Stadium.

Ofei and his technical team will be looking for a strong response from their players as Ghana seek to overturn the deficit on home soil and keep their hopes of qualifying for the 2027 CAF U-23 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt alive.