Black Starlets head coach Kassim Ocansey says Ghana will remain competitive against Burkina Faso despite having secured qualification for the semi-finals of the ongoing WAFU B U17 Championship.
The Starlets face hosts Burkina Faso in their final Group A fixture at the 4th August Stadium on Friday, having won their opening two matches against Togo and Benin to book a place in the last four with a game to spare.
With qualification already secured, Ocansey has indicated that he could make changes to his starting lineup to manage his players’ workload and preserve their fitness for the semi-finals. However, he insists that Ghana will approach the encounter with the same competitive mentality that has guided their campaign.
“We take every game very competitive and our focus is to win all our games. We are focused on what brought us here. It doesn’t matter whether we’ve qualified or not,” he said.
The Ghana coach acknowledged the importance of managing the squad carefully at this stage of the tournament, stressing that keeping his players fresh for the knockout phase would be a key consideration when selecting his team for Friday’s encounter.
“You may not see all our players starting but we will still be competitive. We can’t risk our players because we will need fresh legs for the semi-final but we will not be complacent against Burkina Faso,” Ocansey added.
Ghana will be looking to maintain their winning momentum and finish the group stage strongly, while Burkina Faso face a crucial battle as they seek to secure their place in the semi-finals.
Ocansey’s comments underline Ghana’s determination to remain focused and competitive as they continue their pursuit of the WAFU B U17 title and qualification for the 2027 U17 Africa Cup of Nations.
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