President Kurt Edwin Simeon-Okraku, on Monday, met the National Under-17 team, the Black Starlets, to inspire them ahead of their 3rd place playoff with Nigeria on Tuesday.

The Black Starlets will take on their counterparts, the Golden Eaglets, in a fierce battle to determine who finishes 3rd in the WAFU Zone B Under-17 Championship.

Ghana, after a promising start in the competition at the group stage, fell to Burkina Faso in the semi-finals.

The loss to Burkina Faso, coupled with the announcement by Coach Laryea Kingston of his resignation moments after the defeat to Burkina Faso, naturally took a toll on the young Starlets players.

Deputy Head Coach of the side, Nana Kweku Agyemang, was immediately tasked to lead the technical team to play the 3rd place playoff game with Nigeria.

After the team’s final training session on Monday in preparation for the game, President Simeon-Okraku called on the team to lift themselves for the game.

“Let’s never depart from how we have been taught to play. Let us stay together,” he said.

“There are lots of talents in this team. Let no one deceive you that you are not talents. I am the leader of football in this country and I have trust in this team. And per the arrangements the FA has put in place, when you finish playing at Under-17 level, you will move to Under-18 to continue with your progressive development,” he added.

He then charged the team to be focused on the next opponent and go for the bronze medal of the competition.

“Let’s be focused on our next opponents, Nigeria. They are beatable. Just don’t panic when things are difficult. Just be relaxed and keep playing to your strengths and the best of your abilities: You will get there.”

The Black Starlets will take on the Golden Eaglets of Nigeria at the University of Ghana Stadium at 16:00GMT on Tuesday to determine who goes home with the bronze medal.

GFA COMMUNICATIONS