Black Starlets head coach Kassim Ocansey has called for improvement in his team’s finishing after Ghana opened their 2026 WAFU Zone B U-17 Championship campaign with a 1-0 victory over Togo.
Despite securing all three points in their opening fixture, Ocansey believes the young Ghanaian side could have made the result more convincing had they converted the scoring opportunities created during the match.
The Black Starlets showed their determination to begin the competition on a positive note, but their inability to take advantage of several good chances left the technical team with areas to address ahead of their subsequent matches.
Reflecting on the performance, Ocansey admitted that Ghana created enough opportunities to score more goals but failed to make the most of them.
“We created good chances, but we couldn’t convert them,” he said.
The coach’s assessment highlights the importance of improving the team’s attacking efficiency as Ghana seek to build on their opening victory and maintain a strong challenge in the regional tournament.
While the result provided a positive start to the campaign, Ocansey will be keen to ensure that the players become more clinical in front of goal. At youth level, the ability to turn promising attacking moves into goals can prove decisive, particularly in a competition where every result could influence qualification for the next stage.
Ghana’s narrow victory over Togo offers encouragement to the technical team, but it also presents a clear area for improvement. Creating scoring chances is an important part of an effective attacking performance, and converting those opportunities will be crucial if the Black Starlets are to achieve their ambitions in the championship.
The opening win gives the team a foundation on which to build, with attention now turning to improving their execution in the final third while maintaining the discipline and determination that helped them secure the victory.
Ocansey and his technical team will therefore be expected to work on the side’s finishing and decision-making in attacking positions as the tournament progresses.
For the Black Starlets, the immediate objective will be to carry the confidence gained from beating Togo into their next assignment while addressing the shortcomings identified by their head coach.
Although the 1-0 result delivered the desired start, Ocansey’s comments make it clear that Ghana must become more efficient in front of goal if they are to turn their attacking potential into more convincing performances at the 2026 WAFU Zone B U-17 Championship.
