Ghana’s National Under-15 boys’ team have concluded their campaign at the inaugural FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival in Azerbaijan with an emphatic 4-0 victory over Colombia, delivering a strong finish to an impressive international tournament.

The young Ghanaian side, known as the Black Comets, produced a dominant performance in their final match to bounce back from a heavy defeat to Brazil in the ranking play-offs.

Ghana’s victory over Colombia secured seventh place in the overall standings, capping a campaign in which the team recorded eight wins in 10 matches and scored 44 goals.

Ghana Respond After Setbacks

The Black Comets entered the final match determined to finish their campaign on a positive note after suffering disappointment in the latter stages of the competition.

Ghana’s hopes of progressing further were ended by Paraguay in the quarter-finals after a 2-2 draw in regulation time, followed by a 7-6 defeat in the penalty shoot-out.

The team subsequently suffered a 7-1 loss to Brazil in the play-offs for fifth to eighth place.

However, the young Ghanaians responded impressively against Colombia, producing a four-goal performance to bring their participation in the tournament to a successful conclusion.

An Impressive Tournament Record

Despite the setbacks in the knockout and ranking stages, Ghana demonstrated considerable attacking strength throughout the competition.

The team won all five of its group-stage matches, scoring 27 goals and conceding just three.

They continued their progress with a 2-1 victory over Korea Republic in the Round of 32 before defeating Mexico 5-2 to reach the quarter-finals.

Shamsudeen Sulemana emerged as one of Ghana’s standout players, scoring four goals in the win over Mexico. Abdul Aziz Issah also made significant contributions, scoring important goals during the tournament, including against Korea Republic, Mexico and Colombia.

A Positive Sign for Ghana’s Youth Football

Ghana’s seventh-place finish, eight victories and 44 goals provide encouraging indicators of the team’s potential and attacking quality.

The tournament also offered the young players valuable experience against international opposition, exposing them to different playing styles and the demands of competitive football.

Although Ghana fell short of reaching the semi-finals, the commanding victory over Colombia ensured that the team left Azerbaijan with renewed confidence and a positive result to build on.

The performance will offer encouragement to Ghanaian football supporters as the country continues to develop the next generation of national team players.

*Source note: This report is independently written from publicly reported tournament results and campaign statistics. *

CAF President Patrice Motsepe has defended the decision to retain the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) on a two-year cycle, explaining why the continental football competition will follow a revised calendar featuring editions in 2031 and 2033.

CAF president Patrice Motsepe explains the decision to retain the two-year tournament cycle.

Motsepe’s comments follow a unanimous decision by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Executive Committee to reverse its earlier plan to move AFCON from its traditional two-year schedule to a four-year cycle.

The governing body announced the reversal on Thursday, October 29, 2026, following concerns about the financial sustainability and long-term development prospects of the proposed Africa Nations League.

CAF has reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining the Africa Cup of Nations as a major continental competition.

According to Motsepe, CAF’s decision was guided by the need to protect African football, its 54 member associations and African players competing for clubs outside the continent.

He explained that the proposed Africa Nations League would require several years before it could generate the financial resources needed to make CAF competitions more competitive and financially sustainable.

The CAF president said maintaining AFCON as a biennial competition would provide greater opportunities to support football development and generate resources for national associations across the continent.

Why AFCON will move to 2031 and 2033

Under the revised calendar, the next AFCON will take place in 2027, jointly hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.

Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda are preparing to jointly host the next edition.

The following edition is scheduled for 2028, with subsequent tournaments planned for 2031 and 2033.

Motsepe explained that the decision to skip 2030 is connected to the FIFA World Cup scheduled for that year. CAF intends to avoid holding its major national-team final tournaments during a World Cup year, in keeping with established international football scheduling practices.

The revised calendar therefore accommodates the global football schedule while preserving AFCON’s traditional importance in African football.

2027 tournament remains a priority

Motsepe also expressed confidence in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda’s ability to successfully organise the 2027 competition.

The three East African nations will jointly host the tournament, which is expected to bring together national teams from across the continent.

Beyond the sporting competition, Motsepe described AFCON as an important platform for celebrating Africa’s cultures, traditions and diversity while bringing together people from the continent and the African diaspora.

The decision represents a significant change in CAF’s competition strategy after months of discussions about the future structure of African international football.

For now, the governing body has reaffirmed its commitment to the biennial AFCON format, with the 2027, 2028, 2031 and 2033 editions forming the next stages of its revised tournament calendar.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has reversed its earlier decision to stage the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) every four years, confirming that the continent’s flagship national team competition will return to its traditional two-year cycle.

The decision was unanimously approved by CAF’s Executive Committee on Thursday, October 29, 2026, marking a significant shift in the governing body’s long-term competition strategy.

CAF President Dr Patrice Motsepe confirmed the development in an official statement, explaining that the organisation had reconsidered its previous arrangement following concerns about the proposed Africa Nations League.

The four-year AFCON format was announced in December 2025 as part of a broader restructuring of African football competitions. Under that arrangement, the proposed Africa Nations League was expected to become the continent’s major biennial national team competition.

However, CAF has now acknowledged that the new competition would require several years before generating sufficient financial resources to support football development and strengthen the organisation’s competitions.

Motsepe said the reversal was intended to protect the interests of African football, the continent’s 54 member associations and African players representing clubs outside the continent.

Africa Nations League plans influence decision

The proposed Africa Nations League was initially designed to provide a major continental competition every two years while allowing AFCON to move to a four-year schedule.

CAF’s latest assessment, however, indicated that the proposed league would take considerable time to deliver the financial and developmental benefits originally anticipated.

The governing body therefore opted to restore AFCON’s biennial format rather than wait several years for the new competition to become financially sustainable.

The decision also reflects CAF’s intention to maintain the commercial and developmental importance of its flagship tournament.

AFCON 2027 remains on schedule

Despite the changes, the next Africa Cup of Nations will proceed in 2027, with Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda serving as joint hosts.

According to Motsepe, subsequent editions are scheduled for 2028, 2031 and 2033.

There will be no AFCON tournament in 2030 because of the FIFA World Cup scheduled for that year. CAF says its scheduling arrangement will avoid holding the final stages of its national team competitions during the World Cup year.

What the decision means for African football

The return to a two-year AFCON cycle means national teams, players, supporters, sponsors and football associations can continue to anticipate the continent’s biggest international football tournament at more frequent intervals.

For African football associations, the decision also preserves AFCON’s importance as a major source of competition exposure, commercial opportunities and international recognition.

Motsepe further described the tournament as an important platform for celebrating Africa’s diverse cultures and bringing together people from the continent, the African diaspora and beyond.

With the revised arrangement now confirmed, attention will turn to preparations for the 2027 tournament in East Africa and the implementation of CAF’s updated competition calendar.

The reversal brings an end to the proposed four-year AFCON arrangement, restoring the competition’s traditional biennial identity while CAF continues to assess its wider football development plans.

Novak Djokovic marked his return to the Swiss Indoors Basel tournament with a hard-fought comeback victory over France’s Ugo Humbert, strengthening his late-season bid to qualify for the ATP Finals in Turin.

The Serbian tennis star recovered from losing the opening set to win 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 on Wednesday, October 28, after approximately two and a half hours of intense competition. The result marked his first appearance at the Basel tournament since 2011.

Djokovic, a 24-time Grand Slam champion, faced an early challenge from Humbert, who took the first set after securing a crucial break of serve. The Frenchman continued to put pressure on the veteran, forcing him to work hard to regain control of the contest.

The former world number one responded by raising his level in the second set. He secured an early break and maintained his advantage to level the match at one set apiece.

The deciding set remained competitive, but Djokovic found the breakthrough he needed to move ahead before holding his nerve to complete the victory. He sealed the match with a forehand winner down the line.

Speaking after the match, Djokovic described the result as a significant achievement, acknowledging that he had been under pressure from the opening exchanges.

He also admitted that there was room for improvement, having entered the competition without much recent indoor-court preparation. Nevertheless, he welcomed the result as an important step in his campaign.

The victory was particularly valuable because Djokovic is seeking to secure a place at the season-ending ATP Finals, where only the leading players in the annual standings qualify. Before the Basel match, he was 11th in the race to Turin, trailing Spain’s Rafael Jodar by 319 points.

The win also extended Djokovic’s remarkable consistency on the professional tour. It was his 20th tour-level match victory of 2026, marking the 21st consecutive season in which he has reached that milestone.

Basel holds special significance for Djokovic. He won the tournament in 2009 after defeating Swiss great Roger Federer in the final, but had not returned to compete there for 15 years.

His latest victory therefore represents both a successful return to familiar surroundings and an opportunity to collect valuable ranking points before the end of the season.

Djokovic’s campaign continues with a second-round meeting against Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff. The Serbian will be looking to build on his opening victory as he pursues further success in Basel and keeps his ATP Finals ambitions alive.

Ghana’s National U-15 boys’ team will turn their attention to Brazil following a dramatic quarter-final defeat to Paraguay at the FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival in Azerbaijan.

The young Ghanaian side suffered a 7-6 penalty shootout loss after the encounter ended 2-2 in regulation time, bringing their impressive winning run to an end and denying them a place in the semi-finals.

The defeat was a setback for a team that had demonstrated considerable attacking strength throughout the competition. Ghana entered the quarter-finals after recording victories over South Korea and Mexico, including a convincing 5-2 win over Mexico in the preceding knockout round.

Brazil provide the next test

Ghana’s next assignment against Brazil presents another opportunity for the young players to demonstrate their quality against international opposition. The ranking play-off will give the team a chance to respond positively to the disappointment against Paraguay and pursue a strong finish to their campaign.

Brazil are among the traditional powerhouses of international football, making the encounter a valuable test of Ghana’s technical ability, discipline and resilience.

A promising campaign despite the setback

Before their quarter-final exit, Ghana had established themselves as one of the tournament’s standout teams, combining an effective attack with a series of consecutive victories. Their performances against South Korea and Mexico highlighted their ability to compete with teams from different footballing backgrounds.

The experience gained in Azerbaijan could prove important for the players’ continued development, particularly as they adjust to the demands of international competition and high-pressure knockout matches.

Ghana will now look to put the penalty defeat behind them and approach the Brazil fixture with renewed determination.