Ghana national U-17 head coach, Paa Kwesi Fabin has played down expectations that the Black Starlets team being put together should win trophies for the country.
The Black Starlets were a force to reckon with in the youth tournaments both in Africa and in the world, winning the Under-17 World Cup trophy in 1991 and 1995, but has since gone blank in the subsequent competitions.
But the former Hearts of Oak coach Fabin, who is yet to lead Ghana to a world youth championship after failing to guide the Black Starlets past the group stage of the 2013 Africa Under-17 Cup of Nations, says building a youth team purposely to groom them for the future, and that winning trophies is a bonus.
“You see people say we want trophies. Yes, the reason why this Under-17 team was brought about was to get people to graduate to the next level and not necessarily for trophies but along the line if we are able to win a trophy, that’s all well and good,” Fabin told Starr FM.
“Definitely at the back of my mind I am looking at working hard, getting to that level and then probably winning that trophy before I quit but I must confess it is not my priority.”
Paa Kwesi Fabin recently completed a nationwide tour for talents and has also named 40 from theAirtel Rising Stars to build a final team for th 2017 Africa Youth Championship in Madagascar.
Ghana was drawn against Liberia in the preliminary phase of the qualifiers. The fixture will be played between 24 and 26 June and the return encounter will be played between July 1 and 3.
U-17 Is For Future Not Now - Fabin
