UEFA International tournament will aid Black Starlets to qualify for U-17 AFCON - Henry Twum

Henry Asante Twum, the Communications Director for the Ghana Football Association, has emphasized the strategic significance of the Black Starlets' involvement in the 4-Nations tournament in Russia.

Twum has highlighted the importance of exposing Ghana's U-17 team to such high-level competition for their development.

Despite a defeat against Russia, the U-17 side is scheduled to play against Kazakhstan and

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Twum believes that these opportunities will enhance the team's competitive edge before their return to Ghana.

He has stressed that this exposure is part of their preparations for the WAFU ZONE B U17 Cup of Nations.

Their ultimate objective is to qualify for the U-17 AFCON, a feat that Ghana narrowly missed out on in the previous two editions.

According to Twum, "For this team, the majority of them come from the KGL under-17 with the championship we organized. We conducted two club competitions, and later organized the regional championship in Kumasi. We had coaches present to select some players, some of whom have already played in the Premier League. They come from various clubs such as Legon City, Accra Lions, and Great Olympics. The exposure they have gained so far is gradually accumulating."

"As we host the tournament, our ambition is to host and win, and then qualify for AFCON. We haven't qualified since 2017 at the under-17 level. This time, we won't stop at just qualifying for Africa," he added.

In the WAFU Zone B Championship, Ghana has been placed in Group A alongside Benin and Ivory Coast.