A four-member Ghanaian team beat host nation Egypt 2-0 in Cairo, keeping alive Ghana’s bid to defend its All Africa U-19 mixed team relay title.
Ghana's junior badminton team, known as the Golden Shuttlers, knocked out host nation Egypt in the quarter-finals of the Mixed Team Relay at the 2026 All Africa U-19 Junior Championship in Cairo.
The Ghanaian side won both games of the tie for a 2-0 result, taking the first 55-51 and the second 55-52 at the Cairo International Stadium Indoor Hall.
The team was made up of Moslena Ama Korama Adu, Obabompa Adu Mintah, Francis Obeng and Racheal Quarcoo.
A tense second game
The Ghanaian Times reports that the players opened the second game strongly and quieted a home crowd that had been backing Egypt throughout.
Egypt came back into it midway through as fatigue set in, with Ghana operating at a numerical disadvantage compared with the hosts. Moslena Adu and Racheal Quarcoo saw out the closing minutes to protect the three-point margin.
Coaching from the sidelines
One unusual detail: the team did not have its regular coaching staff in Cairo. The coaches had not yet joined the squad in Egypt, so the President of Ghana Badminton, Evans Yeboah, stepped in as head coach for the tie.
Yeboah said the win over the hosts, in front of their own supporters, was a hard one to earn, and credited six weeks of preparation.
"This is a well-organised, determined and composed team," he said, adding that the plan on the day was to take their chances, cut down on errors and keep pressure on the Egyptians.
What happens next
Ghana faces Algeria in the semi-final for a place in the final.
The team is defending a title. Ghana won the Mixed Team Relay at the last edition of the championship, held in Senegal two years ago.
Earlier on the same day, the Shuttlers had beaten Mauritius 2-0 to reach the quarter-finals, meaning they played two ties in one day before facing Algeria.
Why it matters
Badminton does not get the coverage that football commands in Ghana, but the junior programme has quietly produced continental results. Holding a continental title at U-19 level gives the sport a platform to argue for more funding and more school-level participation.
For Ghanaians abroad following the tournament, the fixtures are being played in Cairo, which is on the same time zone bracket as Ghana plus two hours, and several hours ahead of the United States.
The Mixed Team Relay format used at this championship is scored to 55 points per game, with ties decided over multiple games. A 2-0 win means a straight-games victory with no need for a decider.
