Black Starlets coach Laryea Kingston has voiced concerns about the condition of the University of Ghana Stadium, stating that it negatively impacted his team’s performance in their match against Benin.
Ghana’s U-17 team secured a 2-0 victory in their second game of the WAFU B U-17 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, which allowed them to top Group A and advance to the semifinals.
In their previous match against Côte d’Ivoire, the team scored five goals, but on Wednesday afternoon, they managed only two against Benin. Kingston expressed satisfaction with the overall performance but pointed out that the state of the pitch created difficulties for his players.
“I want us to be calm. The way we want to play requires a calm approach, but sometimes it’s very difficult,” Kingston said after the match. “The ball moves slowly on the pitch, which affected our play.”
Despite these challenges, Kingston noted a positive aspect of the game. “However, I believe we dominated today more than we did against Ivory Coast.”
The Black Starlets aim to maintain their unbeaten streak as they head into the semifinals. A win in the semifinals will secure their qualification for the upcoming U-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). Ghana’s U-17 team has not qualified for the tournament since 2017.
