“We Know Ghana-Nigeria Matches Go Beyond Football and We Are Ready” – Black Starlets Playmaker Mensah Kagawa
Black Starlets playmaker Mensah Kagawa has expressed his readiness and that of his teammates ahead of the highly anticipated WAFU Zone B U17 Boys Championship semi-final clash against Nigeria on Tuesday.
Speaking after the team’s final training session in Yamoussoukro, Côte d’Ivoire, the gifted midfielder underlined the significance of the rivalry, noting that Ghana versus Nigeria matches are about more than just the game.
“We know Ghana-Nigeria matches go beyond football,” Kagawa said. “It is a rivalry that carries history, pride, and passion. We are fully aware of what is at stake, and as a team, we are ready to give everything on the pitch to make the nation proud.”
The Black Starlets go into the match with confidence after defeating Niger 3-1 in their final group game, a match in which Kagawa scored a stunning long-range strike that reignited belief in the squad’s attacking power. The talented midfielder believes that performance was a timely boost.
“That win gave us the right momentum,” he noted. “We corrected a lot of our mistakes from the previous games, and now the team is in the right frame of mind. Personally, I feel motivated to deliver again for Ghana.”
The winner of Tuesday’s semi-final showdown at the Charles Konan Banny Stadium will not only advance to the final but also secure automatic qualification to the U17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco next year.The clash kicks off at 7:00 p.m. GMT in Yamoussoukro, with fans across both nations eagerly awaiting another memorable chapter in the age-old Ghana-Nigeria football rivalry.
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