Prosper Ogum Encouraged by Black Starlets Display Despite Mali Defeat
Head coach Prosper Narteh Ogum remained upbeat after Black Starlets suffered a narrow defeat to Mali in a preparatory friendly ahead of the 2026 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations.
The encounter, played in Morocco, ended 1-0 in favour of Mali after a closely contested battle between the two youth sides.
Although Ghana fell short on the scoreboard, the Black Starlets produced an energetic and competitive performance, creating several opportunities and matching their opponents for large parts of the game.
The match formed part of Ghana’s preparations for the continental championship, where the technical team continues to assess the squad and sharpen tactical approaches ahead of the tournament.
Speaking after the game, Ogum expressed satisfaction with the quality of opposition and the response shown by his players under pressure.
“This was the type of test we needed ahead of the AFCON. Mali gave us intensity, discipline, and competition at a very high level, and I’m happy with how the boys responded,” Ogum said as quoted on ghanafa.org.
The former Asante Kotoko coach is expected to build on the lessons from the defeat as Ghana fine-tune preparations for the U-17 AFCON, where the Black Starlets will be aiming to compete strongly against the continent’s top youth teams.
