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Ghana’s Black Starlets say they are ready to face Nigeria in a fiery West African derby that doubles as a ticket to next year’s U17 Africa Cup of Nations, Footynaija.com reports.
Dr Prosper Narteh Ogum, head coach of the Black Starlets, insists his side have regrouped after a shaky start and will be fully prepared for Tuesday’s semi-final showdown at the WAFU Zone B U17 Championship in Yamoussoukro, Ivory Coast.
“We feel good. Everyone is okay and the common spirit of the team is very high and the boys are confident and each of them is very ready to get the results to book a place for the AFCON in Morocco,” Ogum told reporters.
Ghana finished second in Group A behind hosts Ivory Coast, losing heavily to the Ivorians but bouncing back with a convincing 3-1 win over Niger. Ogum admitted earlier defensive lapses were costly but stressed those weaknesses had been addressed.
“In terms of the errors we committed in our previous games, we have identified them through video sessions and we’ve worked on them so we expect that there will be an improvement over the defensive shape that you saw in our previous games,” he explained.
Their opponents, Nigeria, qualified top of Group B ahead of Burkina Faso and are unbeaten at the tournament.
The Golden Eaglets, however, are under pressure after missing out on the last AFCON and know that anything short of victory would be another setback.
Black Starlets playmaker Mensah Kagawa, who scored a stunning goal against Niger, acknowledged the intensity of the rivalry between Ghana and Nigeria.
“We know Ghana-Nigeria matches go beyond football,” he said. “It is a rivalry that carries history, pride, and passion. We are fully aware of what is at stake, and as a team, we are ready to give everything on the pitch to make the nation proud.”
Kick-off is at 7:00 p.m. GMT at the Charles Konan Banny Stadium in Yamoussoukro.
