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Basigi: Black Princesses will go all out in FIFA U-20 qualifiers

Ghana’s female U-20 team, the Black Princesses, will commence a campaign to the next FIFA U-20 World Cup this weekend with the start of qualifi­ers to the showpiece.

Consequently, the Head Coach of the side, Yussif Basigi, has given an indication of the team’s resolve to brush aside every opposition on their way to snatch one of the slots allotted Africa at the juvenile female football showpiece.

He has since told the media, via the Football Association com­munication portal, Team Black Princesses will not underestimate any opponent in the qualifiers for the championship.

That sounds like the beating of the ‘war drums’ ahead of the first qualifying game for the Black Princesses against Guinea Bissau at the Baba Yara Sports Stadi­um in Kumasi on Sunday, in the second round of the World Cup qualifiers.

Commenting on the team’s preparation for the big game, Coach Basigi said the team was

 having the best of preparation at their Prampram base with the team at it final stages of screening to reduce the number to just 30 in camp.

“Training is going on well and though we are here in our numbers, we are still screening the players but we are not bringing them in batches;they all came at

 once. As we get on, the number will be reduced to 30 so they are all showing glimpses of good performance.”

Coach Basigi hinted that some of the players were selected during the Middle League, and added that they were putting up good performances.

That, he explained, will make the final team selection a headache for members of the technical team, whose professionalism in pruning the team, he said was nev­er in doubt, adding that, “it will be purely based on performance and so my technical team will be objective in settling on the final squad.”

“We want to prepare very well and qualify for Columbia and it starts from the qualifying stage. The players were impressive in Kumasi for the WAFU B tour­nament, and I think we need to replicate it during this World Cup qualifying stage. Even though I have missed the services of Faiza and Maafia Nyame, I think I have a replacement for them for now.”

Coach Basigi said the team was aware of the expectation of Ghanaians for the team “because of their splendid performance during the WAFU B Girls Cup in Kumasi and I think they will even be better during these qualifiers.”

“Our game against Guinea Bissau will be the first game and we are not underestimating any opponent; we will work hard and take it game after game.”

 BY ANDREW NORTEY

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