Black Starlets boss Kassim Ocansey wants the GFA to keep his U17 squad together as the foundation for Ghana's future senior national teams.
Ghana's next generation has a loud advocate in its corner. Black Starlets head coach Kassim Ocansey is urging the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to keep the current Under-17 squad intact, insisting this group could become the backbone of the country's senior national teams for years to come.
Ocansey says the team's quality has been clear at the 2026 WAFU Zone B U17 Championship in Burkina Faso, and he does not want that promise scattered once the tournament ends. His message to the federation was blunt: "We should not do away with the team. We must keep this team together for the future," he said, pointing to the number of players with real potential in the group.
The appeal speaks to a familiar challenge in Ghanaian football: continuity. Keeping the squad together would give these young players more time to build understanding, develop partnerships on the pitch and pick up valuable international experience. It would also create a clearer pathway from youth football to the senior level, so talented players can adjust gradually to the demands of the competitive game.
Ocansey's call goes beyond protecting one group of Starlets. He is pushing for a longer-term development approach in which promising youngsters are nurtured and tracked as a unit rather than discarded after each tournament cycle. The ball is now in the GFA's court, and Ghana's future stars are watching.
