Starlets to set up camp in Egypt ahead of U-17 Championship...

 7th March 2013.

 Richard Offei-Addo,for The News.

Ghana’s Black Starlets will hold a training camp in Egypt as part of preparations for the African U-17 Championship in Morocco next month.

The cadets side will fine-tune in Egypt, which has similar climatic conditions as Morocco and unnamed European country for the eight-team Championship fixed for 13-27 April.

Seth Tekper, Minister of Finance and Economic Planning who revealed this during his presentation of the financial policy of the year to Parliament today, was however, silent on the details of the training programme.

The Starlets, currently in camp for the continental championship that will serve as a qualifier for the FIFA U-17 World Cup in United Arab Emirates (UAE) later in the year are housed in Group B, alongside bitterest rivals, Nigeria, Cote d’Ivoire and Congo. Hosts Morocco, Botswana, Gabon and Tunisia make up Group A.

The seniors, the Black Satellites are pitching camp in Italy and Spain for the African U-20 Championship due for Algeria from 16-30 March.

Similarly, the Local Black Stars team are scheduled for a training tour of Kenya for next year’s African Nations Championship (CHAN) in South Africa. The Local Stars must beat Benin in the qualifiers in June to book their ticket for the third edition of the tournament designed exclusively for footballers playing in their domestic leagues.

“The Black Queens will play the qualifiers for the 2014 African Women Championship while the Black Princesses and the Black Maidens will participate in the qualifying rounds of their respective 2014 World Women Championships,” Tekper said.

The Minister re-echoed President John Dramani Mahama’s commitment to the Black Stars in the qualifying series for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, in the wake of the team’s empty showing at the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa, where they placed fourth.

The Stars are three points adrift leaders Zambia in Group D and must win all four remaining games to reach the final round of the qualifiers.