Ghana’s under-17 national football team used Wednesday morning’s double-header at the Accra Sports Stadium as a live classroom, running two back-to-back friendlies against Division One League sides to sharpen the tactical details that will matter when the TotalEnergies Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) kicks off in Morocco in April.
The Black Starlets faced Port City FC and Koforidua Semper Fi in a double-header designed to sharpen tactics and assess squad depth ahead of the continental tournament, with matches scheduled from 8:00 am to 12:00 noon.
Head coach Dr. Prosper Narteh Ogum rotated players across both fixtures, the clearest indication yet of what the technical staff still needs to resolve before the final squad is named. The selections were not about chemistry. They were about questions: who holds their defensive shape when pressed, who executes the transition plan under physical pressure, and who performs when the result matters against opponents with genuine club motivation to impose themselves.
The Starlets came into the fixtures encouraged by recent results, securing a 3-2 win over Na God FC before following it up with a 4-3 victory against True Democracy FC. The attacking numbers are promising. Both scorelines, however, also tell a story about defensive margins that Ogum’s staff will want to tighten before Ghana faces continental opposition.
Under Ogum’s guidance, the Starlets have been put through structured drills focusing on ball circulation, pressing, transition play, and finishing, while physical conditioning has been a major focus, with players undergoing endurance and strength sessions to ensure peak fitness levels ahead of the tournament.
Ghana is returning to the Under-17 AFCON for the first time in eight years, following a runners-up finish at the West Africa Football Union (WAFU) Zone B Under-17 Championship in Ivory Coast, which served as the qualifying tournament. The Black Starlets are two-time FIFA Under-17 World Cup champions, and the weight of that history follows this squad into every training session.
Wednesday’s matches form part of a structured buildup that will culminate in the naming of a final squad for Morocco. With weeks rather than months remaining, the coaching staff is using every available minute to move from assessment to certainty.
