The Black Starlets of Ghana lost 3-0 to host nation Ivory Coast in their second Group A game of the WAFU B U17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying tournament on Tuesday evening.

The young elephants took control of the encounter after breaking the deadlock in the 3rd minute of the game and managed to hold on for a halftime lead.

In the second half, Côte d’Ivoire added two more goals to seal a convincing 3-0 win in front of their home crowd.

The loss means the Black Starlets must secure maximum points in a decisive encounter against Niger in their final group match on Friday.

To qualify, Ghana will also be relying on results elsewhere, hoping Côte d’Ivoire defeat Togo in the other Group A fixture.