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Players of the current outfit will be promoted to the U-20 side despite their inability to impress at the U-17 World Cup.
 
Ghana Football Association technical director Francis Oti Akenteng says the present under-17 team will form the nexus of the next under-20 set-up despite the former’s disappointing showing at the 2018 Fifa Under-17 World Cup in India.

On their return to the global showpiece for the first time since 2007, the Black Starlets suffered a quarter-final elimination following a 2-1 defeat to Mali on Saturday.

Their exit has prompted some backlash back home, with many questioning the abilities of the players.

“We have seen the qualities the boys possess, we must keep them and groom them together for the U-20 team,” Akenteng told Football Made in Ghana.

“The under-17 is youth development and we are not expecting wins at all times but if the win comes, you take it because it motivates the players. But we are looking for developmental policy.

“We did the same thing when we promoted the U-20 players who played and won the 2009 Under-20 [World Cup] in Egypt.

“They played in [at the] 2010 Afcon[in Angola] and placed second.”

 
Ghana will be seeking to make a comeback to the Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations after missing out on the 2017 edition in Zambia.

At the 2015 finals in Senegal, the Black Satellites finished third to secure a ticket to the World Cup.

The next U-20 Afcon is set for Niger in 2019.