Sierra Leone’s dream of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco ended in disappointment on Friday evening after the country’s U-17 female side suffered a second straight defeat to Benin in the African qualifiers.
The young Sierra Queens, coached by Fatmata “Taribo” Turay, lost 2-1 to Benin in the return leg played on Friday evening at the Kegue Stadium in Togo, following a heavy 3-0 defeat in the first leg on Monday, May 25. The result sealed a crushing 5-1 aggregate victory for Benin and confirmed Sierra Leone’s elimination from the race to Morocco.
During the crucial encounter, Benin opened the scoring in the return leg through Doris Ogoubi in the first half before Sierra Leone responded with an equalizer from Mariama Kamara, briefly raising hopes of a comeback for the West African side.
However, Benin restored their advantage after the break when captain Emmanuella Tchibozo found the net to secure another victory for her team. Despite a more spirited performance in the second encounter, the young Sierra Queens were unable to overturn the first-leg deficit as Benin maintained composure to advance to the next stage of the continental qualifiers.
The back-to-back defeats represent a significant setback for Sierra Leone’s growing women’s football program, which has been striving for greater competitiveness on the African stage.
Nonetheless, the campaign underscored the determination and potential of the country’s young female players amid ongoing challenges related to funding, infrastructure, and player development.
Sierra Leone’s U-17 Head Coach Fatmata “Taribo” Turay and her squad are expected to return home for a review of the campaign as football authorities begin preparations for future regional and international competitions.
The qualification series for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Morocco 2026 continues across Africa, with countries battling for one of the eight available slots in the ongoing second round to progress to the Africa continent’s limited places at the global tournament.
