Black Starlets to resume residential camp in January ahead of U17 AFCON

Black Starlets will resume full residential camping in the first week of January as preparations gather pace for the 2026 U17 Africa Cup of Nations.

The upcoming camp marks the start of the final phase of preparations, with head coach Dr Prosper Narteh Ogum and his technical team set to intensify work with an expanded squad. After several weeks of structured training and assessment, the squad will be trimmed down to the final 23 players for the continental tournament.

Players who miss out on the final AFCON selection will not be completely released from the national setup. Instead, they will be retained in the Black Starlets database as part of a long-term development plan ahead of the 2026 WAFU B U17 Championship, scheduled to take place shortly after the AFCON.

This strategy is intended to ensure continuity and squad depth, particularly as some players eligible for the AFCON may no longer qualify for the WAFU tournament due to age restrictions.

Dr Ogum noted that maintaining a wider pool of players will ease the workload for the technical team when assembling a new squad later in the year, while also safeguarding the progress of promising talents within the national youth system.

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