Coach Adotey (right) issuing instructions to some of the players during a training match
HEAD coach of Black Maidens, Evans Adotey, says his charges need three high-profile international games to be fully ready for the upcoming FIFA U17 World Cup to be staged in Uruguay from November 13 to December 1.
The team has been in camp at the Ghanaman Soccer Centre of Excellence in Prampram over the last two months with coach Adotey and his assistant Coach Baba Nuhu of Pearl Pia Ladies FC taking the girls through their physical development.
The coaches are working on the team’s physical condition as well as their technical and tactical aspect with the aim to improve on individual, group and team tactics as well.
Speaking to Times Sports at the weekend after watching his side demolish defending National Women’s League and Super Cup winners Ampem Darkoa Ladies 11-0 on Sunday, coach Adotey said the team is now in the period of playing pre-competition matches, which was preceded by low profile matches and medium profile matches.
He noted that as part of the pre-competition matches, the team played against the Black Queens who are also in camp ahead of the African Women’s Cup of Nations to be staged in Ghana, national Women’s league sides Elmina Sea Lions and Ampem Darkoa Ladies.
The Maidens will also face Army Ladies today, Essiam Socrates tomorrow as well as a Greater Accra Select side on Saturday.
“These are all high profile games. However, the technical team has proposed a tour of the United State to help put the team in a better shape for the tournament next month,” head coach Adotey noted.
According to him, initially the technical team asked to play fellow World Cup participants Cameroon and South Africa in warm-up games, but unfortunately, both countries travelled outside the continent on training tours.
“We are hoping that the tour of the United States would be approved which will be the final phase of preparations ahead of the tournament,” he said, adding that going outside to have at least three international warm-up games “is the most critical issue my technical team are battling with at the moment.”
“We have dealt very well with the condition of the team. Now, the team needs international exposure to put them in the right frame for the World Cup.”
He noted that the weather in the States at the moment is equal to that of Uruguay. As such, they are counting on the agent in the States to secure them some key friendly games to help the team acclimatise.
Coach Adotey revealed that by the end of this week, he would prune down the squad size from 30 to 25 players ahead of their final leg of preparations.
Ghana will open her tournament account against hosts Uruguay on November 13 and Finland on November 16 before playing their final Group A game against New Zealand, four days later.
BY RAYMOND ACKUMEY
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