Black Starlets head coach Prosper Narteh Ogum says his players are fully motivated to avenge their earlier defeat to Ivory Coast when the two sides meet in the final of the 2025 WAFU Zone B U-17 Championship.
Ghana endured a mixed campaign in the group stages, drawing 1-1 with Togo before suffering a heavy 3-0 loss to the Ivorians.
The team bounced back with a 3-1 win over Niger to progress, before overcoming rivals Nigeria in the semi-finals to book a place in Friday night’s decider at the Charles Konan Banny Stadium in Yamoussoukro. Kick-off is scheduled for 19:00 GMT.
Addressing the media ahead of the final, Ogum underlined the determination within his squad.
“We’ve played them, we’ve seen them play, and they’ve also seen us play, he said in the pre-match, as he looked forward to the rematch against the host country.
“They defeated us, and it’s the second time to play them, and I think it’s enough motivation for us to come in strongly and make sure what happened in the group stage does not happen again.”
Both teams have already secured qualification for next year’s U-17 Africa Cup of Nations by reaching the final. Friday’s clash will be the third meeting between the two nations in the last three years.
Ghana edged Ivory Coast to win bronze in 2022 and also recorded a commanding 5-1 victory over the Young Elephants at the 2024 edition of the WAFU Championship.
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