Black Starlets head coach Prosper Narteh Ogum says Ghana’s ultimate goal is to secure qualification for the FIFA U-17 World Cup, after sealing a place at next year’s U-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco.
Ogum’s side booked their AFCON ticket on Tuesday night with a 2-0 victory over rivals Nigeria in the semifinals of the WAFU B U-17 Championship at the Charles Konan Banny Stadium in Yamoussoukro. The result also marked Ghana’s first qualification for the continental showpiece since 2017.
Despite this milestone, the former Asante Kotoko coach insists the team’s ambitions go beyond just returning to the AFCON.
“The target is to qualify for the World Cup. Qualifying for the AFCON alone is not enough. We want to go to Morocco and make sure we qualify for the World Cup,” Ogum told Asempa FM.
He expressed confidence in the squad’s quality and revealed plans to bolster the team ahead of the AFCON.
“I believe we have the players to achieve this. It has been a long time since we saw the Black Starlets at the AFCON and the World Cup. We will continue to improve the squad together with the GFA to meet this target and raise Ghana’s flag high.”
The Starlets will next face tournament hosts Cote d’Ivoire in Friday’s final, a chance for redemption after losing 3-0 to the Ivorians in the group stage.
