The Sierra Leone U-17 Women’s National Team is set to face Benin in May after they eliminated the Ivory Coast in the first leg of the preliminary matches.
In the first leg, the match ended in a 0-0 draw. In the return leg, the Sierra Leonean team demonstrated resilience and determination, winning 2-1 to qualify. As a result, they secured their spot in the second preliminary round of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup qualifiers.
Elsewhere, the biggest surprise came from Benin, who lost 3–1 in the first match but won 4–0 against Burkina Faso in the second match. Romaine Gandonou scored all four goals.
Cameroon, Ghana, and Ethiopia all won by a score of 6–0, showing their strength. Zambia, Kenya, and Uganda also qualified easily. In a close match, Senegal beat Tunisia 2–1, and both Tanzania and Burundi moved on as well.
Next, the focus will shift to the second round, which runs from May 22 to May 31.
Sierra Leone v Benin in the second round of the qualifiers schedule
* First Leg: May 22nd, 23rd, or 24th
* Second Leg: May 28th, 29th, or 30th
Second-round fixtures – FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Morocco 2026 qualifiers
- Guinea vs Nigeria
- Benin vs Sierra Leone
- Senegal vs Cameroon
- Liberia vs Ghana
- Zambia vs DR Congo
- Ethiopia vs Burundi
- Tanzania vs South Africa
- Kenya vs Uganda
