Starlets to shine against Niger today

Black Starlets skipper, Alhassan Uzair, will carry the nation on his tiny shoulders as he leads his teammates to begin their West Africa Football Union (WAFU) Zone B qualifying campaign against Niger this afternoon.

The odds will be against Ghana’s juvenile side who also are expected to play against a partisan home crowd, as well as play in searing heat that favours the host team, Niger, who also need to convince their fans about their readiness to shock the Starlets.

The winner of the six-nation competition automatically qualifies for next year’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) slated for Tanzania, which the Starlets have vowed not to miss.

Last weekend, the team’s morale was boosted after news came in that the entire 20 players in camp had passed the mandatory Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) test.

Currently, the Starlets have no injury concerns, and Coach Karim Zito has assured the nation that he would not let the opportunity of playing in the continental showpiece slip by because he believes the boys are ready to confront the challenges ahead.

He told the Daily Graphic ahead of today’s game that they did not regard any side as an easy opposition but his charges would not allow any of them to be an obstacle to their ambition of grabbing the sole ticket to the AFCON.

Although Burkina Faso beat Nigeria 3-2 in the other Group game last Monday, Zito said the Starlets remained focused on today’s game and would take each match as it came while every opponent would be treated with all seriousness.