Ghana’s Under-17 coach Paa Kwesi Fabin has set a target of qualifying to the 2017 FIFA Under-17 World Cup.
The Black Starlets are making a quick return to the continental championship after missing out on the last edition in Niger.
The West Africans were disqualified after fielding an unqualified player.
The two-time World champions are highly tipped to make the top four and qualify for the global championship later in the year in India, in the absence of West African powerhouses, Nigeria and Cote d’Ivoire.
On a mission to rewrite the history books is Ghana coach, Samuel Fabin, who has been tasked with guiding the teenagers to the summit.
This would be his third shot having faulted at the 2013 edition of the continental championship in Morocco, where the team failed to reach the last four, before the ghost of disqualification haunted them two years later.
Fabin, a renowned youth trainer in his native Ghana tells CAFOnline.com a ticket to the World Cup in India remains their target.
“The last 10 years has not been good for Ghana football especially at the U-17 level as we have failed to make it to the World Cup, which hitherto was a constant feature for the country. So the main aim of this team will be to qualify to the World Cup slated for India,” he said.
A former trainer of Ghanaian giants, Asante Kotoko and Hearts of oak, he hopes to get it right this time especially as he presides over a team blessed with talent, skill and hungry for success.
The squad according to him has something that was missing in the previous sides – hunger, that is one thing Fabin adores.
“The coaching staff, Management and the players are hoping we seal qualification by the second game. We want to qualify in grand style and that we want to achieve by the end of the first two games so that it would put us in a relax mood to tackle the rest of the games,” added Fabin.
The Starlets will open their campaign in Group A against Cameroon on May 14 in Port Gentil and follow it up three days later with a game against host Gabon before playing their final group game against Guinea on May 20th.
“I have respect for all the teams that made it to the finals. Every team is a potential banana peel, and I am a coach who does not undermine any opposition,” he declared.
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