Sports
GFA President inspires Black Starlets ahead of South Africa clash tonight
President Kurt Edwin Simeon-Okraku has urged the Black Starlets to remain confident in their abilities ahead of their crucial final Group D clash against South Africa at the 2026 U17 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
The President spoke to the players and technical team via Zoom on Tuesday evening shortly after the team’s final training session, delivering a passionate message of encouragement and belief ahead of the decisive encounter.
Addressing the players, President Okraku reminded them of the sacrifices and preparations made over the past year and encouraged them not to allow the current standings to define the quality within the squad.
“My mission here is to remind all of us that after almost 12 months of preparations, traveling to several places in Ghana to play friendlies and traveling to Ivory Coast to play friendly matches, we are sitting at the bottom of the table after two rounds of games,” he said.
The FA President added that “A team that is well prepared and has shown a lot of promise is at the bottom of the table after matchday two with just one point. This is not the best situation, but the good thing is that we still have one more game to either stay in the competition or secure a play-off slot to fight for a place at the World Cup, which is our ultimate goal.”
Despite the team’s difficult start to the tournament, President Simeon-Okraku expressed unwavering confidence in the players and insisted the entire nation still believes in the squad.
“I believe in this team despite the two setbacks, and my answer will always be yes if I am asked whether this is a good team. This is the same belief all Ghanaians have in you.”
The GFA President explained that the purpose of the meeting was to remind the players of the support and trust they continue to enjoy back home.
He added, “I asked for this meeting just to remind you that Ghanaians believe in you and we believe you will qualify. You have tomorrow to let the whole of Ghana talk about you.”
He concluded his address with a strong call for determination and national pride ahead of the South Africa encounter.
“Just go out there, play well, and win for Ghana,” he charged them.
The Black Starlets head into Wednesday’s game knowing victory could revive their hopes of progression and secure a pathway toward qualification for the FIFA U17 World Cup in Qatar later this year.
Black Stars captain Jordan Ayew says Ghana will leave nothing on the pitch when they face England in today’s World Cup Group L decider at Gillette Stadium.
With both teams on 3 points, Ayew said his job is to ease pressure on the younger players and hold everyone accountable, himself included.
“I’m doing my best to guide the boys, make them comfortable, take pressure off them, and help us perform,” Ayew told reporters. “I have to perform too. They have to perform too. It’s teamwork. We’re helping each other.”
Ghana come into the Foxborough clash after a 1-0 win over Panama in Toronto. England beat Croatia 4-2 in their opener.
The captain’s message was simple, “We’re going to give our 100% and we’re going to fight. I’ll make sure when we come off that pitch, we have no regrets.”
The winner takes control of Group L. Kickoff is 4:00 PM ET at Gillette Stadium.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
Black Stars forward Brandon Thomas-Asante insists Ghana will carry no pressure into Tuesday’s World Cup showdown with England at Boston Stadium, saying the team’s self-belief and sense of purpose outweigh outside expectations.
Brandon provided a 95th minute assist that helped Ghana beat Panama 1-0 in Toronto.
The win left both Ghana and England level on three points in Group L following the Three Lions 4-2 over Croatia in their opening match.
Speaking to ghanafa.org Thomas-Asante is adamant that external doubt only fuels the squad.
“Everything to the best ability, it’s very much a case of we back ourselves, we believe in ourselves. Whether people on the outside doubt us, believe us, or anything that’s not what we think about. We think about why we’re here. We’re on a mission,” Thomas-Asante said.
The Coventry City forward said that mission removes any weight of expectation. “That means there’s no pressure. It’s even less pressure for us,” he explained.
“We know our fans believe, but we know that some people might want to overlook us. We use that to our advantage preparing properly and believing that we can go and do something,” He added.
England and Ghana both sit on three points heading into the Foxborough clash, with the winner set to take control of Group L. Kickoff at Boston Stadium on Tuesday.
GFA COMMUNICATIONS
