Black Starlets will face Nigeria with high spirits – Frederick Acheampong assures

Black Starlets management committee chairman Frederick Acheampong says the team has bounced back after their loss to Burkina Faso in the WAFU U17 Zone B semi-finals.

Ghana, who had hoped to secure one of the two slots for the U17 AFCON, suffered a 2-1 defeat against their neighbors Burkina Faso last Saturday, missing out on the final.

The players were devastated, and their disappointment was compounded when the team’s head coach, Laryea Kingston, announced his resignation and departed from the camp before the third-place playoff match against Nigeria.

To ensure the players’ mental well-being and preparedness for Tuesday’s match, Frederick Acheampong revealed that the Ghana Football Association (GFA) President, Kurt Okraku, personally intervened to help the players regain their focus and composure.

“The Ghana Football Association President Kurt Okraku has taken the time to personally get involved and help bring the boys back to the level they were before Saturday’s defeat,” Acheampong stated.

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With assistants Nana Agyemang and Jacob Nettey now in charge of the team for the evening’s match, Fred Acheampong believes the players have recovered from their disappointment and are ready to compete.

“The players were understandably disheartened by what happened. We’re talking about 15 and 16-year-olds, so we needed to work on them, and the GFA is taking steps to support them, including individual sessions with the players last night. I can assure you that they will take the field with high spirits today,” he said on Sunrise Sports on 3FM.

The Black Starlets will face Nigeria at the University of Ghana Stadium in the third-place playoff match, where bragging rights between the two nations are at stake. Kickoff is scheduled for 4 pm.