Black Starlets head coach Prosper Ogum has called for greater patience from his players after guiding Ghana into the semi-finals of the WAFU Zone B U17 Boys Championship in Ivory Coast.
The Starlets endured a shaky start to the group stage, drawing with Togo before losing to hosts Ivory Coast to collect just one point from their opening two matches. That left them needing victory against Niger to stay in contention for a place at the U17 Africa Cup of Nations.
Ghana rose to the occasion on Friday in Yamoussoukro, sealing a 3-1 win with late goals from Mark Kagawa Mensah and Robinho Yao Gavi after Niger had threatened to spoil the party.
“Both teams played very well. Niger were organised defensively and tried to catch us on the break. We needed a win, so we pressed and exploited spaces behind them. The early parts were difficult, but we found our rhythm in the middle and created chances to win,” Ogum said afterwards.
He, however, noted that the young players must learn to control their emotions on the big stage.
“We have to try as much as possible to be patient; it’s something we lack. These are young boys, and sometimes when they come, they are carried away by the atmosphere in the stadium, so they forget themselves and rush decisions which are not correct. Once we are very composed on the field of play, we can play,” he explained.
Ghana will discover their semi-final opponents on Saturday as the tournament enters its knockout phase
