By Joseph S. Conteh
Sierra Leone’s U-17 girls’ football team has secured a hard-fought victory over Ivory Coast, earning their spot in the second round of the 2026 African qualifiers for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
In a two-leg affair, the Sierra Leone side overcame a 0-0 draw in the first leg by winning the second leg 2-1 on aggregate.
Despite conceding an early goal from Boka Ange Allison in the 33rd minute, the young Sierra Leonean team refused to be deterred.
Musu Sengeh’s 83rd-minute equaliser kept Sierra Leone in the game, and in stoppage time, Mariena Magdaline Tua emerged as the heroine, scoring the decisive goal to send her team through to the next round.
Sierra Leonean U-17 girls, who now set their sights on the second-round clash against Benin’s Amazones U-17 in May 2026.
