Newly appointed Black Starlets head coach, Stephen Frimpong Manso, has acknowledged the significant challenge ahead as he begins his tenure with Ghana’s U-17 national team.
Speaking about the task at hand, Frimpong Manso remarked, “It’s really a difficult job—not just a difficult task, but a challenging responsibility. At the U-17 level, you need to go down to the districts and actively search for talents. Beyond the mainstream players, there are talented individuals without clubs, and it’s important to cover all those areas to ensure we assemble a good team.”
Ghana, a two-time FIFA U-17 World Cup champion, has not featured on the global stage since 2017, when the team reached the quarterfinals.
Since then, the Starlets have struggled to qualify for major tournaments, prompting the need for a fresh approach under Frimpong Manso’s leadership.
In his third stint with the Black Starlets, the experienced coach has stressed the importance of comprehensive scouting and preparation to build a competitive squad capable of reclaiming Ghana’s dominance in youth football on the continental and global stages.
