Ghana’s under 17 football team, the Black Satellites will on Sunday August 7 start another journey to the Africa u17 Cup of Nations after their disqualification from the 2015 edition for fielding an over aged player in their first leg qualifying game against Cameroun.
The Black Satelites will seek to amend their mistakes when they lock horns with the Young Stallions of Burkina Faso in the second round qualifiers for the 12th edition of the 2017 Africa u17 Cup of Nations to be staged in Madagascar.
The match at the newly built Cape Coast Sports Stadium at 15:00 GMT, will be the first of a two leg tie. Cape Coast Stadium was the venue where Ghana’s u20 failed in a similar attempt to qualify for the Africa u20 Cup of Nations after being eliminated by Senegal last month.
Ghana, two times winners (1995&1998) of the u17 competition in Africa, is yet to kick a ball in this year’s qualifiers after a first round walkover due to the withdrawal of scheduled opponents Liberia. Meanwhile the Burkinabe’s were also left out of first round action after being seeded.
The Satellites however are tipped as favourites in this tie having enjoyed an impressive record over their opponents in recent times. Ghana beat Burkina Faso 3-1 in the 1999 finals to win it’s second trophy.
The Young Stallions will nonetheless hope to rely on their rich experience at this level to upset Ghana having played in the finals on three occasions and winning the 2011 edition in Rwanda.
Head coach of the Black Satellites Paa Kwesi Fabin says preparation had been good for the team so far.
“We are ready for the game. We have prepared very well and the boys have been in camp for a very long time and this is the time to show what they had learnt all this while.
We are in Cape Coast preparing very well for the game on Sunday. It’s a two leg affair and it’s important to get a flawless result in the first leg,” he told reporters.
“We will also train at the match venue, Cape Coast Stadium and get familiar with the pitch before Sunday, so we are very prepared for the game. We know what is at stake and all eyes will be on us to perform, especially after the Black Satellites failed to qualify for the U-20 Africa Cup of Nations.”
The return leg will be played in a forthnight in Ouagadougou.
GNA
