Head coach of Ghana U-20, Yaw Preko insists his team is ready to make the nation proud in the football tournament in the African Games slated for Morocco on August 19.
The Black Satellites were drafted to replaces the Black Meteors for this year's competition due to in their engagement in the Africa Under-23 championship.
Due to the short notice, Yaw Preko hurriedly had to assemble a squad to represent Ghana at the championship and 44-year-old disclosed that the absence of competitive football in the country left his players rusty but he has put them through the right training and Ghanaians will see the what the team is made of when the tournament starts.
“We want to go to the tournament and make Ghana proud. It’s about development, it’s not about going there to win at all cost but we want to go there and win and make the nation proud and for Ghanaians to see that there is future for Ghana footballâ€, he told Graphic Sports
“As I told you, there is no league in the country so the boys have been home for two months or more so definitely you need to take them through endurance and it has to be step by step but we didn’t have time.â€Â
Coach Preko, who also worked as the assistant coach of the under-17 national team, admitted their preparation time was inadequate, stating that “the little time wasn’t enough to put pressure on the players but when the tournament starts Ghanaians will see what we are made of,†he said.
He added: “I expect Ghanaians to give 100 per cent support behind the team†to enable them do well.
The Black Satellites have been drawn in the same group with reigning African Under-20 Cup of Nations Champions Mali, Senegal and Burundi.
They open their campaign against Burundi on August 17 before playing Senegal four days later and end the group phase match against Mali on August 24.
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