Black Starlets head coach Kassim Ocansey says his side have achieved their first target at the 2027 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers after securing a 3-1 victory over Benin to book their place in the semi-finals with a game to spare.
Ghana continued their impressive campaign at the WAFU B U17 Championship with a convincing win over Benin, ensuring qualification for the last four and keeping their ambitions of securing a place at the continental showpiece firmly on track.
Speaking after the victory, Ocansey revealed that the team arrived at the tournament with three clear objectives: reaching the semi-finals, qualifying for the U-17 AFCON by reaching the final, and ultimately winning the trophy.
The Black Starlets coach expressed satisfaction with the team’s progress, insisting that the first objective had been accomplished, with two more targets left to pursue.
“Coming here, we had three targets; to qualify for the semi-final, to qualify for the AFCON by being finalists and to lift the trophy. So far, the first target of making it to the semi-final has been achieved. We have two more to chase and In Sha Allah we will achieve,” he said.
Ghana will now turn their attention to their remaining group-stage fixture as they seek to maintain their momentum and build on their strong start to the competition.
With semi-final qualification secured, Ocansey and his technical team will be focused on preparing the team for the decisive stages of the tournament, with an AFCON ticket and the WAFU B U17 title remaining firmly in their sights.
