By: Nana Kwame Bediako
The Black Starlets put up a resilient performance in their WAFU Zone B Under-17 Championship opening game against Côte d’Ivoire as they defeated their West African neighbours by 5-1 at the University of Ghana Sports Stadium on Wednesday, May 15, 2024.
The young and vibrant stars demonstrated a strong performance as they dominated all departments of the game, with the ever-lively Laryea Kingston leading things from the touch line. The former Black Stars player has taken the team spirit to another level with his dynamic coaching skills.
The Black Starlets had Côte d’Ivoire where they wanted them, although they were put under pressure in the early stages of the game by the Ivorians. Ghana picked up after their opponent failed to make good use of their chances by scoring the first goal through a brilliant effort from Joseph Narbi, who scored two first-half goals.
The second half saw the Starlets pick up from where they left off in the first half as they added a third in the 48th minute, leaving the Ivorians to linger on how to climb back into the game. After falling down to three goals, Côte d’Ivoire managed to pull one back, as that wasn’t enough to stage a comeback.
Ghana went ahead to add two more goals through Harve Gbafa and Mark Kagawa Mensah, who climaxed an emphatic 5-1 victory to set the tone for their next match against Benin on May 21, 2024.
