Ben Fokuo, head Coach of the Ghana Under-17 men’s team has said his wards are focused on the West Africa Football Union (WAFU) Under-17 qualifying tournament in Benin.

According to the Coach, his side had been preparing well for the competition to face the tough opponents they would face in the competition.

The Black Starlets were paired in Group B alongside winners of the last edition Nigeria and neighbours Ivory Coast after a virtual draw which took place on Tuesday.

Tournament hosts Benin are in Group A, alongside Niger, Burkina Faso, and Togo.

“We have been preparing for every situation because we already know our neighbouring countries and the teams in the Zone. We knew we would get to face Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, and the rest”.

“We are always prepared for every match because we know the strength of Nigeria and Ivory Coast. We are preparing and looking forward to our first match”, the U-17 Coach stated after the draw.

“The players are coping well, we all know with the youth side they get to learn a lot of new things when they are in the national team's camp. We have taken them through various sessions to improve their fitness and technical skills.

“We are working on conditioning and tactical play and after a few weeks, I can say they are coping well.

“We have also played some friendly matches and they are picking up gradually. Now that we are fully aware who we will play at the Group Stage, we will continue to get the players to the required standard before the tournament,” he added.