Junior Lone Star's AFCON Hope Hinges on Third Place Playoff After Gambia's Defeat

Dakar, Senegal: Liberia's Under-17 Men's National Team, known as the "Junior Lone Star", will now hold their nerve for the Third Place playoff against Guinea in the WAFU A qualifiers to determine their fate for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations U-17 tournament.

WAFU A is the West African Football Union Zone 1, a football region under the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

The Junior Lone Star failed to confirm their qualification in the qualifiers' semifinals on Thursday night—falling 2-1 to The Gambia in a heated clash at the Leopold Sedar Senghor Stadium in Dakar, Senegal.

The result leaves Liberia with only one option for qualification—a third-place playoff. The Red, White, and Blue boys conceded early to The Gambia, after just 14 minutes of play.

Liberia later had a crucial opportunity to level the scoreline before the first-half whistle after being awarded a penalty.

But, the Junior Lone Star failed to convert from the spot, with forward Lawrence Toe's strike hitting the crossbar.

The Gambians then regained their pace after coming under threat. Gambia maintained control of the game's tempo and kept Liberia under pressure until it found another breakthrough with a goal in the 67th minute on the clock.

However, the Junior Lone Star fought and pulled one back against their opponents through Lamine Kamara, but that alone could not overturn the score deficit.

Holding all factors constant, The Gambia advanced 2-1 over Liberia to reach the WAFU A qualifiers grand final and secure a spot in the 2027 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations.

Now, Liberia is left with a decisive encounter against Guinea this Sunday, September 20, 2026, which many sports pundits consider a "make-or-break" match for its AFCON dream. The two nations will challenge each other for the last qualification slot.

Coach Marcus Laquie's Junior Lone will meet Guinea for the second time in the WAFU A qualifiers, after initially collecting a 2-1 win against their Guinean counterparts in the group stage.

However, a victory in the upcoming decisive third-place encounter for either side will see that team advance to the biggest African U-17 football competition along with Senegal and The Gambia from WAFU A.

The 2027 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations tournament is scheduled to take place in Morocco between April and May.