WAFU Zone B U-17 Championship: Former NSA chief Seth Panwum questions Black Starlets' road trip to Burkina Faso

Former National Sports Authority (NSA) Board Chairman Seth Panwum Boyoyo has questioned the decision to send Ghana’s Black Starlets to Burkina Faso by road for the 2026 WAFU Zone B Under-17 Championship.Boyoyo said the welfare and safety of the teenage players should have been prioritised, given the length of the journey and security concerns in parts of the Sahel region.The Black Starlets travelled about 960km by bus from Ghana to Ouagadougou, with the journey taking more than 20 hours.Speaking to Adom FM, Boyoyo questioned why the team was not flown to Burkina Faso.”Why will you subject people’s children to that ordeal? Anything could have happened to them on the way,” he said.The team had spent four days training at the Winkogo Technical Centre in Bolgatanga before embarking on the road journey to the Burkinabe capital.Boyoyo also questioned the Ministry of Sports and Recreation’s role in approving the travel arrangements.”And what did the ministry also do about it? These are the questions you journalists should be asking the government,” he added.He stressed the importance of the Under-17 team to Ghana’s football development, describing it as the foundation of the country’s national-team structure.”If we are talking about the foundation of Ghana football, the U-17 is where Ghana football starts,” Boyoyo said.He warned that exposing young players to what he considers unnecessary risks could have implications for the country’s long-term football development.”And if you put these kids through these dangers, do you think it’s worth sacrificing?” he asked.Boyoyo also cited security concerns in the region, referring to the 2010 attack on the Togo national team in Angola as an example of the risks football teams can face while travelling.He further questioned whether the authorities would have approved the arrangement if the players were their own children.”In private life, will the sports minister allow his kids to go to Burkina Faso by road?” he said.The Black Starlets’ journey to Burkina Faso came just days after they returned from Morocco, where they played two friendly matches against the hosts.Ghana won the first match 2-0 but lost the second 2-1 after conceding with the final kick of the game.The team has since arrived safely in Ouagadougou, with no security incidents reported during the journey.Ghana will begin their WAFU Zone B campaign against Togo at the 4th August Sports Stadium in Ouagadougou on 10 October.The Black Starlets will then face Benin on 13 October before taking on hosts Burkina Faso on 16 October.The tournament also serves as the qualifying competition for the 2027 Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations, with the two finalists securing places at the continental tournament.



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