Accra, Aug. 15, GNA - The national under-17 team, the Black Starlets, are scheduled to leave Accra for the United States of America later this week to fine-tune ahead of the World Under-17 soccer tournament in Peru.

The team had to cancel an earlier training tour to the United Kingdom after the British High Commission in Accra refused them travelling visas.

The Commission explained that since the players had not travelled to any European country before, processing of the visas was going to take 15 days.

Officials of the Starlets Management Committee were compelled to cancel the UK trip since the 15-day period was going to throw the training programme overboard.

The team would engage the junior side of the Major Soccer League (MSL) in Florida, US, and round up the tour with a duel against the US under-17 team.

The ministry of Education and Sports had tasked Dr. Emmanuel Owusu Ansah, a Director at the Ministry to liaise with the US embassy to facilitate easy visa acquisition.

The tournament starts on September 16.