The head coach of Ghana’s Black Maidens, Joe Nana Adarkwah, has made it clear that his side will not approach the WAFU B U-17 Girls Championship as a developmental exercise despite the competition being age-group tournament.

The Black Maidens are set to begin their title defence against Burkina Faso in Yamoussoukro, Côte d’Ivoire later today, Tuesday September 15, with Adarkwah demanding a balance between nurturing young talents and competing for another regional crown.

The Ghana coach say that the two objectives must coexist. While player development remains an important part of youth football, he believes the opportunity to compete on the international stage requires his players to embrace the pressure of winning.

“We all know that with the U17s, you have to develop the players. But we are going to the World Cup, so it’s up and down you cannot say you are developing players but cannot compete.”
Joe Nana Adarkwah

“We are doing both, but we are here to compete with the best, including here,” he added, underlining the competitive mentality he wants his squad to carry into the tournament.

Ghana enters the competition with expectations heightened by its status as defending champions. That achievement has also provided Adarkwah’s squad with an additional source of confidence as they prepare to begin their campaign.

Ghana won the last edition of the WAFU B U-17 Girls Champions on home soil in 2025.

Rather than allowing the weight of defending the title to become a burden, the coach believes the success of the previous edition has already given his players the belief needed to handle the challenge.

Defending champions embrace pressure

The Black Maidens coach believes motivation will not be difficult to generate within the squad, insisting that the players arrived in Côte d’Ivoire already carrying the mentality required to defend their title.

With Burkina Faso standing between Ghana and a winning start, Adarkwah is now focused on ensuring that the confidence within the camp translates into performance when the competition begins.

“In terms of spirit, I am going to psych the players so that it comes into the game. But once we came from Ghana, our spirits were already high, everything is high, because we are the defending champions.”
Joe Nana Adarkwah

The coach pointed to Ghana’s success in the previous edition as an important psychological advantage, with the memory of lifting the trophy still fresh in the minds of the team. “The last time we played in Ghana, we won it. So the spirit is already there. We are here to defend it,” Adarkwah added.

That mindset will be tested immediately against Burkina Faso, with Ghana needing to combine the confidence of champions with the discipline required in an opening fixture.

The Black Maidens are in Côte d’Ivoire to develop the next generation of Ghanaian players, but they are equally determined to prove themselves against the best and leave the tournament with their crown intact.