Winneba (Central Region) - Coach Oti-Akenteng, the head coach of the National Under-12 soccer team based at the Winneba Sports College, has said the team could be a force to reckon with in the near future. He said the boys have shown a remarkable improvement within the six months that they camped at the college.

Coach Akenteng said by the end of their four-year programmed at the college, the country could count on them as good materials for the FIFA JVC U-17 tournament in 2004.

The coach who was speaking to the GNA at Winneba, said the boys are aged between 12 and 14 and were selected from 100 others from all over the country during their basic schools soccer competitions.

He said as part of the programme, the boys have been shared among some of the basic schools in the Winneba township to enable them acquire basic education apart from soccer training.

Some of the boys interviewed later by the GNA said even though they miss home a lot, they enjoy their stay there because all their needs are provided.