Ghana's U17 stars are already through to the WAFU B semi-finals, but they're chasing a perfect group stage against hosts Burkina Faso.
Ghana's next generation of football talent is making a loud statement in Ouagadougou. The Black Starlets have wrapped up preparations for Friday's Group A finale against hosts Burkina Faso at the WAFU B U17 Championship, and they arrive with a semi-final spot already in the bag.
Head coach Kassim Ocansey and his technical team led the final training session on Thursday at the Salitas Academy Complex, the venue that has been the squad's home base throughout the tournament. It was a chance to sharpen the details and fine-tune the plan before the last group outing.
Ghana have been ruthless so far. They opened with a narrow 1-0 win over Togo, then followed it up with a 3-1 victory over Benin to book their place in the last four with a game to spare. Now the goal is simple: keep the record spotless and finish the group stage with maximum points.
For Burkina Faso, the stakes could not be higher. The hosts must avoid defeat to keep their own semi-final dreams alive, which promises a fierce, high-intensity contest in front of a home crowd at the 4th August Stadium. A West African derby with pride, momentum and a place in the knockouts on the line is exactly what youth football fans want to see.