Ghana’s U-17 girls made an impressive start to the inaugural WAFU Zone-B U-17 Women’s Cup on Thursday with a dominant 4-1 win over Bénin in the tournament’s opening match, held at the Ghanaman Soccer Center of Excellence.
The Black Maidens took control early, with Priscilla Mensah opening the scoring just five minutes into the game. Christiana Ashieku then stole the show, netting a remarkable hat-trick in the 17th, 44th, and 45th minutes, sealing a commanding 4-0 lead by halftime.
After the break, Bénin showed more intent and managed to capitalize on a defensive lapse by Ghana in the 55th minute to pull a goal back. However, their efforts came too late to threaten Ghana’s dominance in the match, and the Black Maidens secured all three points.
Ashieku’s stellar performance earned her the “Lady of the Match” award, with her hat-trick marking the first of the tournament.
Following Burkina Faso’s withdrawal from the competition, both Ghana and Bénin have automatically qualified for the semifinals, awaiting the results of Group B.
