Sierra Leone’s Under-17 female team faces a daunting challenge in the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup African qualifiers after suffering a heavy 3-0 defeat to Benin in Monday’s first-leg clash in Lome, Togo.
The young Sierra Queens were punished by a clinical Benin side at the Kegue Stadium, with Romaine Gandonou striking in the 16th and 67th minutes while Diane Dogbe added a second-half goal in the 57th minute to hand the Young Amazons a commanding advantage.
Head Coach Fatmata “Taribo” Turay’s side struggled to contain Benin’s attacking pressure despite moments of resilience, leaving Sierra Leone with a mountain to climb ahead of Thursday’s crucial return-leg underway at the Kegue Stadium.
The defeat puts West African teams on the brink of elimination, meaning the Sierra Queens must produce an extraordinary comeback to keep their hopes of reaching the next stage of the African qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup alive.
Benin defeated Sierra Leone 3-0 in the U17 Women's World Cup first leg qualifier at the Stage de Kegue in Lome, on Monday.
— Alie Bittar (@bittar32) May 26, 2026
Romain Gandonou scored a brace for the host. The return fixture is set for the 29 of May at the same venue.https://t.co/w5dT5ZyCEx@FootballBenin pic.twitter.com/ALpCRpZeTj
