The Ghana Football Association recently announced via its official channels that the Black Starlets, the national Under-17 boys’ team, will step up their preparations for the upcoming TotalEnergies U-17 Africa Cup of Nations with a double-header of friendly matches tomorrow, Wednesday, February 25, 2026, at the iconic Accra Sports Stadium.
The action kicks off early at 8:00 AM when the young stars face off against Attram de Visser, a respected academy and club side known for developing talent in Ghana. This will be followed immediately by a 10:00 AM clash against Golden Kick, another competitive outfit that provides a solid test for the national youth setup.
These fixtures come hot on the heels of last week’s successful outings at the same venue, where the Black Starlets demonstrated sharp form and defensive resilience. They edged out Port City FC—a strong Division One League side leading their zone—by a narrow 1-0 margin in the morning session, before producing a more dominant 2-0 victory over Semper Fi later that day.
Those results marked the team’s fourth set of friendlies in recent weeks, following earlier closed-door tests against sides like True Democracy FC and Na God FC at the Ghanaman Soccer Center of Excellence.
The pattern underscores a deliberate strategy by the technical team to build match sharpness, experiment with combinations, and maintain high intensity as the April tournament approaches.
Ghana’s qualification for the 2026 U-17 AFCON finals in Morocco (running from April 25 to May 15) was secured through a strong showing in the WAFU Zone B qualifiers last year. The defining moment came in the semifinals against longtime rivals Nigeria, where the Black Starlets delivered a commanding 2-0 win to punch their ticket to the continental finals.
That victory ended an eight-year absence from the competition, with their last appearance dating back to 2017. Although they finished as runners-up in the WAFU B Championship—falling to hosts Ivory Coast on penalties in the final after a goalless draw—the qualification itself represented a major milestone and a return to relevance on Africa’s youth stage.
Leading this revival is head coach Dr. Prosper Nartey Ogum, who has now signed a fresh two-year contract with the Ghana Football Association. Having taken over from previous coach Frimpong Manso, Dr. Ogum quickly guided the squad through the qualifiers and has instilled a renewed focus on structured play, tactical discipline, and youth progression.
The GFA’s decision to extend his tenure reflects strong confidence in his vision, especially as these ongoing friendlies serve as critical building blocks.
Beyond performing well at the AFCON—where the top four (or potentially top five, depending on CAF rules) teams typically advance—the ultimate ambition is clear: secure qualification for the 2027 FIFA U-17 World Cup, marking Ghana’s first appearance at the global youth showcase since 2017 and reasserting the nation’s storied reputation in producing world-class talent from an early age. With the Morocco finals just two months away, every session and friendly counts in this high-stakes preparation phase.