The recent crop of Black Starlets players who took part in the African U-17 Championships and the World Cup in India were given USD 8,000 as rewards for their exertions in the two tournaments.

Ghana finished second in the African tournament and made it to the quarterfinals of the world cup before being dumped out by Mali.

The finances handed out to the players led to a lot of public debate and Nyantakyi has revealed that the move will not be repeated in future.

“We agree that we need to focus on the necessary things of life and for the young players, these things are food, clothing, shelter and education.

“We should move away from the practice of giving young players thousands of dollars. These boys tend to misuse the amounts of money given to them.

A new crop of U-17 players is set to be put together for the qualifiers for the 2019 African U-17 tournament which will be played in Tanzania.

A host for the 2019 U-17 World Cup is expected to be determined by FIFA by the close of 2017 or early 2018.

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By: Nathan Quao/citifmnonline.com/Ghana

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Ghana’s U-17 players each got paid $4000 dollars for getting kicked out at the quarter-final stage of the FIFA U-17 World Cup in India.

On the back of the obnoxious amounts of money that has been paid Black Stars players as bonuses and appearance fees in recent years, many would argue the amount given the Starlets players is moderate. I disagree.

Instituting a cash reward bonus structure is a bad precedent that could lead to the “give us our money or we won’t play” mentality that has characterized our senior national team in recent years.

Prior to the tournament, there was a lot of talk from Paa Kwasi Fabin, the team’s head coach, about winning the competition in India.

He had good reason to be confident. After all, they were beaten finalists in the U-17 Africa Cup of Nations where they played some great football.  But as has been characteristic of Ghana’s teams, the build-up to both the Africa Championship and the World Cup was centered on bonuses.

In the end, the Sports Ministry agreed to pay each player $1000 (slashed from $3000) per win at the Africa U-17 Cup of Nations and same was maintained for the World Cup in India after the team qualified.

However, at the World Cup, the Sports Ministry instituted a qualification bonus structure agreeing to pay each player $3000 if they qualified out of the group irrespective of how many matches they won.

In the end, Ghana qualified to the quarter final stage with two victories over Colombia and India, while they lost to the USA. They received $3000 for that feat.

In the 1/16th stage, the Starlets beat fellow Africans Niger which attracted another $1,000, bringing their total earning to $4,000. In the U-17 AFCON, they earned $4,000 as well for finishing second.

That’s $8,000 for each 17-year old for winning nothing while playing for Ghana. This cannot be right.

In 2013 in Turkey, Ghana’s U-20 players who were playing in the World Cup were paid $9000 for qualifying out of their group as one of the best third placed teams. They lost two of their group stage matches to France and Spain and only beat USA.

But a 2-0 win for Egypt over England ensured they nicked one of the 1/16th slots and a whopping $9, 000.

Two more wins against Portugal and Chile in the 1/16^th and 1/8^th stages respectively earned them an extra $6,000 each before losing to eventual winners France in the semifinals. Ghana finished third in that competition and each player still walked away with not less than $15,000 each.

What’s the message here? That we are a country that will always heavily reward mediocre performances? We have continuously done same even at senior level; but at least, these are professionals who need to make a living out of football.

At youth level, this is bad practice.

A lot of the U-17 players are plucked out of Senior High School. What should an SHS student do with $8000?

It’s no surprise a number of the players feel discouraged to continue with school after the tournament. In the long run, if they do not make it at the highest level, they would not have the education to fall back on.

Since the inception of the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 1985, FIFA has never paid prize money for winning the competition neither does it pay participating teams any appearance fees.

In fact, the only FIFA competition that comes with financial reward is the senior World Cup where the winners of the 2014 edition walked away with a $35 million purse while participating countries earned in excess of $8 million.

The only team that will go home with a “cash reward” at the FIFA U-17 World Cup is the Fair Play team of the tournament which will receive a voucher for $10,000 worth of football equipment to be used for the development of youth football in that country.

When England won the FIFA U-20 and U-17 World Cup this year, their players did not receive any form of financial compensation from the FA or government for their efforts.

It is usually the responsibility of clubs to pay bonuses tied to international appearances for senior players who have such clauses inserted in their contracts. But the youth players do not have such clauses. In effect, these kids were playing purely for pride.

While I appreciate the importance of acknowledging their efforts and sacrifices, it is entirely wrong to prepare for every youth competition with promises of cash rewards for achievements.

FIFA’s aim for starting these youth competitions was to give budding talents the opportunity to compete against their peers from across the globe.

And if after more than 30 years, FIFA, with all its money, still has not seen the need to insert a financial package into these competitions; it is as clear a statement that money should not be a crucial element at youth level.

Instead, we need to start instilling the act of patriotism at this stage; making the players understand the pride in pulling on the shirt to represent their country.

If promises of handsome rewards (without being specific) are made to the players for certain marked achievements, then it’s fair. This will give the state the option of choosing how to reward their efforts.

When Ghana’s U-20 team won the World Cup in 2009, government rewarded the team with Toyota Camry saloon cars as well as GHC 10,000 in bonds that would mature in 15 years. That was a generous offer from a grateful nation.

When Ghana recently hosted the WAFU tournament, the Ghana team were told they would not receive winning bonuses.

Instead, they were told to win the competition and the prize money would be shared among them. They fought their way to victory. Ghanaians celebrated a trophy and the players got their money.

The President, Nana Akuffo Addo added an extra $100,000 to the prize money for them to share.  Another example of a grateful nation to its determined fighters.

Stipulating cash rewards for U-17 players is wrong and will only create an entitlement mentality we will later come to regret.

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Ghana’s Black Starlets have arrived home after their FIFA U-17 World Cup outing which saw them fall out at the quarterfinals to familiar rivals and African champions Mali.

Contrary to popular opinion, I feel there are a lot of positives to take away from this tournament.

It is usually difficult to demand the ultimate prize at this stage of football because it is mostly about development and experience gained rather than ultimate success.

I am not saying the spirit of winning should not be instilled in our players but I believe it’s too early to set such high targets for the team.

I saw the Starlets at the U-17 Africa Cup of Nations earlier this year and I must say I saw a vast improvement not only in their game-play but also in the body language and general approach.

The team began the African Championships in blistering fashion scoring 9 goals and conceding none in their opening two games and then went on a scoreless run until the end of the tournament where they were beaten 1-0 by Mali in the final.

On the contrary, in terms of performance, the team recovered from a rusty but fairly comfortable start against Colombia and looked more comfortable against USA; a game Ghana should have won but for wasteful finishing, and then to two very comfortable wins against India and Niger.

My only disappointment in the team is in the manner in which we were beaten against Mali. The defeat was the team’s third straight loss against their West African rivals in 2017 and one would think the familiarity with the opponents would have inspired a better performance but it was not to be.

The Starlets looked defeated from the blast of the whistle and the Malians looked clearly fitter and mentally more prepared and psyched for the occasion.

Frankly speaking, it was clear the horrible conditions on the day affected the Starlets, but that’s no excuse for their abysmal performance as the Malians also had to endure the same conditions.

The entire team (maybe except Sulley Ibrahim) looked afraid of their opponents who took advantage and bossed proceedings. There is absolutely no doubt that this team possesses some extremely gifted individuals, but the reality is that, strong mental attributes are what differentiates top players from the rest.

The team needs to believe in their abilities and trust that they can overcome any opposition. That’s the kind of mindset Ghanaians want and such a mindset will always translate to the performances on the pitch.

Over the years, it has been evident that youth football is a major contributor to senior level football. A quality youth system will almost certainly have a strong impact on the senior team.

The resurgence of Barcelona under Pep Guardiola was built on a core group of players who were brought through the club’s youth system, La Masia.

Players like Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta, Xavi and Gerard Pique are all products of La Masia and had the club’s philosophy and identity drilled in them throughout their formative years as footballers.

On the international side, Germany’s 2014 World Cup winning side was a result of the country’s reformed youth policy after their unsuccessful Euro 2004 campaign where they fell out in the group stages.

We need to fix our football systems in our country if we want to succeed.

The leaders must have a clear plan on the way forward while having the Black Stars in mind and the first thing is to fix the league.

The visionless, unattractive Ghana Premier League only causes a host of the country’s top talents to seek greener pastures abroad. Many may not see how this affects the national team but all the footballing giants of the world have the core of their team playing in their home leagues.

When you play week in and week out with and against the same group of individuals, it only improves familiarity and cohesion between the group. That way when they are sent to play in the national team, it shows in their output.

If we can get our league functioning at the highest level, it will help in persuading our young players to stay home and fully develop before they are fed into the senior team.

Secondly, we need to have a clear and well-structured system of transition. I must commend Paa Kwesi Fabin for his amazing work with this team.

His thorough scouting and grooming has resulted in the unearthing of these fine talents we saw at the tournament. It’s very difficult to find talent in a country where the youth systems are almost dead.

Take England for example. The Head Coach of their U-17 team Steve Cooper had the luxury of falling on the likes of Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool for personnel for his team at the same tournament that Ghana was participating in.

So credit must go to Fabin for his exceptional work as Starlets boss. I think he should be given the job on a long term basis and the responsibility of finding talents must be placed in his hands.

Not just him but the various youth teams should be assigned to a specific coach and they should be tasked with grooming these players for future use.

The same players who pass through the U-17 should be taken through the U-20 and finally the Black Stars. This will save the Black Stars head coach a lot of work because he would have seen these players develop over the years through the youth systems and would know them through and through.

Let me end with a perfect example currently biting us in the back.

The current core of the Egyptian national team that beat the Black Stars to qualify for their first World Cup in 27 years is a product of their 2011 U-17 World Cup squad. This is a testimony of a working structure and a proper system of transition.

I, for one, am hoping and praying that a majority of these players feature for the Black Satellites and the Black Stars in the coming years.

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By: Daniel Koranteng/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Koranteng writes: What’s the next step for the Black Starlets? appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Danso was largely used as a super sub throughout the tournament, and came on to score twice against both Niger and India.

There were many calls for the WAFA youngster to be given a starting role in the side but Fabin, in an interview with Accra-based Happy FM, revealed that the forward had suspected heart issues which prevented him from taking the risk of starting him.

“During one of our training sessions in Dubai before the tournament, he walked off complaining of heart pains so we were very cautious in our approach towards him.

“He doesn’t have the stamina to last 90 minutes and we were not prepared to take risk,” he said.

The Starlets fell at the quarter-final stage at the hands of rivals Mali to end their hopes of winning the World Cup for the first time since 1995.

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By: Daniel Koranteng/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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The result follows victory over their West African rivals in this year’s CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations final and moves them into a last-four meeting with either Iran or Spain in Navi Mumbai on Wednesday.

In very wet weather at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Guwahati, both sides did well to play through the conditions, with Mali dominating to opening half.

The Eaglets took the lead on the quarter-hour mark, as Hadji Drame broke in on the Ghanaian goal before putting his shot past Black Starlets goalkeeper Danlad Ibrahim for his third goal of the tournament.

Ghana then had the ball in the opposite net just before half-time, however Ibrahim Sulley’s effort was disallowed for a foul by team-mate Kudus Mohammed in the build-up.

Just after the hour mark, Mali scored their winner through Djemoussa Traore.

He beat the back-tracking Danlad Ibrahim with a long-range effort after the Ghana goalkeeper misjudged his rush off his goalline to make an attempted clearance outside his box.

With 20 minutes to go, Ghana halved the deficit through a Mohammed penalty after substitute Sadiq Ibrahim was fouled in the Mali box but, in the end, the Eaglets held on to secure a second appearance in the last four at a U-17 World Cup in as many tournaments.

Their only disappointment is a suspension to Mali captain Mohamed Camara for the semi-finals through the accumulation of yellow cards.

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Source: FIFA

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The match, which will be played in the border town of Guwahati, is the third time Ghana is facing Mali this calendar year but the Starlets have nothing to show for their efforts.

Ghana lost to Mali in the final of the African U-17 Championships and in their first pre-tournament friendly in Abu Dhabi but the Starlets are determined to get one over the Malians on the world’s biggest stage.

“If you beat a team in one competition, it does not mean that the trend will continue. We are prepared so people should come and watch us,” said Ghana head coach Paa Kwesi Fabin.
Defender Ibrahim Najeeb agreed with his coach and said they would seek revenge on Saturday.

“Actually, this is a game we have prepared for and we have trained very well and corrected our mistakes from previous matches.”

The winner will face the victor of the match between Spain and Iran.

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By: Nathan Quao/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Fabin and Starlets looking for revenge against Mali appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Ghana dominated the first half, creating 13 attempts to Niger’s lone effort. The West Africans created the first chance on 25 minutes, as Edmund Arko-Mensah’s powerful strike produced a top save from Niger goalkeeper Khaled Lawali.

The Ghanaians had to wait until first-half stoppage time to finally break through, as they were awarded a penalty after Eric Ayiah was cut down in the Niger box by Farouk Idrissa. The Ghana captain stepped up to convert the spot-kick for his third goal of the tournament.

The Black Starlets kept pressing forward after the break, with Gideon Mensah missing a great opportunity to double Ghana’s lead from close range. Ayiah could have had a second penalty goal after Idrissa fouled Emmanuel Toku in the Niger box, but Lawali was equal to his spot-kick effort.

The second goal would arrive in the final moments, as substitute Richard Danso’s strike proved too strong for Lawali to keep out of his net, as Ghana capped a convincing performance at the Dr. DY Patil Stadium.

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Source: FIFA

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The Starlets needed to win to be sure of a place in the second round, but their great start to the match was not rewarded with goals as their usual trait of wayward finishing kept appearing as the half wore on.

However, captain Eric Ayiah found his scoring boots and opened his account in the 43rd minute, with a shot he smashed into the roof of the net after a cross from the right was spilled by the Indian goalie.

Ayiah made it two for himself, and for Ghana in the 52nd minute, when he swept home a cross from the left wing from left-back Rashid Alhassan.

Paa Kwesi Fabin, Ghana coach, made some changes, and two of the players who were introduced, Richard Danso and Emmanuel Toku, grabbed the third and fourth goals respectively.

Danso was put through on goal, and he held his nerve to finish the chance, while Toku was alive to shot that went off the post, and he tucked home the rebound.

The Starlets made it to the second round of the tournament as Group A winners with 6 points, with Colombia and the USA finishing second and third respectively also on 6 points.

Colombia got second place due to their superior head-to-head record against the USA, after they tied even on goals scored and goals difference.

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By: Nathan Quao/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post U-17 World Cup: Ghana thump India 4-0 to top Group A appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The Starlets were undone by a 75th-minute goal from Ayo Akinola after they failed to put away the numerous chances created on the day.

The victory sends the Americans through to the second round while Ghana need to defeat hosts India on Thursday and hope for a favourable result between the USA and Colombia to progress as the second-placed team in the group.

Speaking to the team after the match, H.E. Ocquaye Jnr, urged the players to bounce back from the loss and he also shared his thoughts on what he felt went against the team.

“Things are not lost for you. I know a lot of teams which lost their first match in a World Cup and went on to win it ultimately. Spain is an example. You did not lose your first match so just keep working hard.

Usually, Ghana plays well against a tough team and Colombia is the toughest team in the group and you beat them. But somehow, there is a perception that we always beat the USA and that exists even among our senior team.

The word is complacency and it showed in the first half. In the second, you played excellently but against the run of play, you conceded the goal. You have done well but this is a big lesson.”

Ghana is hoping to excel in the U-17 World Cup ten years after its last appearance when the tournament was played n South Korea.

By: Nathan Quao/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post High Commissioner to India urges Starlets to bounce back from USA loss appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Forwards Emmanuel Toku, and Sadiq Ibrahim all failed to put their chances away during the match and they paid the ultimate prize when Ayo Akinola scored for the Americans in the 75th minute.

Many observers of the team had spoken about the team’s inconsistencies in attack before the tournament and Fabin admitted that the players could not replicate the lessons in goal scoring from training and that cost them the match.

“After the last match, we worked on scoring and we went through drills before this match. We have to keep working on scoring so we get our act together.

We had so many chances and we blew them and at this level, you will get punished if you do not put the chances away.”

The result has put Ghana in 3rd place in Group A ahead of the final group match with India on Thursday at 2:30 pm Ghana time.

The Starlets are on 3 points together with Colombia who beat India 2-1 on Monday. Ghana will have to beat India and hope Colombia fails to win against the USA for them to make it second place.

Ghana could still make it to the second round of the tournament of the four best third-placed teams.

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By: Nathan Quao/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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