Newly appointed Black Starlets Coach Stephen Frimpong Manso is determined to lead the team to U-17 FIFA World Cup qualification. This goal is especially significant, given that the Black Starlets haven't appeared on the world stage since exiting the FIFA U-17 World Cup at the quarterfinal stage in 2017.
To achieve this ambitious target, Coach Frimpong Manso emphasized the importance of selection criteria and player selection based on the Ghana Football DNA. He also acknowledged the pressure to deliver and excel, highlighting his commitment to restoring the team's former glory.
Coach Frimpong Manso brings a wealth of experience to the role, having previously worked as assistant coach of the Black Starlets and assistant coach of the Black Meteors. His club career includes stints as coach of Stade d'Abidjan in Ivory Coast and several Ghanaian clubs, including Asante Kotoko, Karela United, Bofoakwa Tano, Nkoranza Warriors, Eleven Wonders and Bibiani Gold Stars.
Coach Frimpong Manso has been speaking to ghanafa.org
Read on for the transcript:
On new appointment as Black Starlets head coach
Officially I got the information I think two days ago, that was when I spoke with the President of GFA (Kurt Okraku) that he wanted me to take over the U-17. Yes, It is my third stint with starlets, I was an assistant first and then I was promoted to the main coach and then now I have also had an opportunity so it’s my third stint with the starlets.
On difficulties that comes with the job
Well, I think it’s really a difficult job not a difficult task but a difficult job in the sense that, at the U-17, you need to go down to the district and then try to find talents yourself apart from those who are in the main stream, there are even players without clubs but they are also good players so you need to cover all those lines and then try to make sure we get a good team.
On Screening and finding the right talents
Screening alone will take us some time because the numbers are huge but once we want it to be better this time, we need to do that so it doesn’t matter how long it takes us we will try to make sure we get good materials and good preparation before we can be able to achieve qualification.
On what to do to qualify for Africa after three failed attempts
Like I said, I’ve been in that same seat before and then now there are a lot of things that are happening and then on three occasions we couldn’t qualify so we need to find out all those things that happened in the past to know why we have not been able to qualify. We need to fish out all those things and then with my experience earlier, there were some things I experienced so I need to make sure I fish them all out and then try to make sure I try to correct them or try to make sure we do it well this time round.
View on MRI
I don’t know whether it is the Europeans who brought this thing (MRI) because we were winning the Cup earlier but then I think it is a good thing but I don’t know whether it is hundred percent efficient as we want it. There are some players who are even older than 17 but they will go through, others plus one or minus one so for me I don’t think once it’s screening all players, all countries, I don’t see it as a bad thing.
On having Ghana compete with Nigeria, Cote D’Ivoire and Burkina Faso for two slots in WAFU Zone B
Nigeria are a potential World Cup winner like Ghana. We’ve won I think the World cup on two occasions. Nigeria, I think more than that, Cote d’Ivoire are a potential semifinalist, same as Burkina Faso. But by the new format, we have to play against each other at the zonal level to cancel out each other before you can even go the World Cup. It didn’t help West African countries. This format has been beneficial to the countries in the South and North. But I think it’s a disadvantage for us.
On working relationship with assistants Nana Agyemang and Jacob Nettey
Nana Agyemang spoke with me I think three days ago and the goal keeper’s trainer, he also called me and then they all pledged their support for me that they will want us to work together. I told them why not; it’s not something that one person can do. We need to make sure we build a strong working relationship and also trust is one very important aspect which we will have to build or develop because this is our first time of working together but then I think if we don’t trust ourselves sometimes, we might be making a meeting with even your technical members, the next day you’ll hear it outside. Those are the things that we need to stop and then start to trust ourselves. In doing that I think it will help us to move forward.
On selecting players based on the Ghana Football DNA
I am yet to talk to Desmond Ofei (Director of Coaching Education) and already has sent me some our DNA, the way we want our teams to play, so based on that ill also know how to go about it. Now it’s too early to talk about how I want my team to play. We all need to do it in a same style, the same way so that transitions will not be a problem from 15 moving to 20 and then they will not have problems transiting to the senior teams. We’ve already had three editions and then we couldn’t qualify so this time round we will have to make sure we will be able to qualify.
On combining competitiveness and qualification
It is very important. It is not only about developing players; also we need to achieve something on the field by qualifying for all the major tournaments. In doing so I think people want our team to win Cups, Black stars too will qualify to World Cup, the U-23, U-20, and the other national teams have to compete at the highest level so you cannot always be talking about development forgetting about qualification and building a team to fight for titles so I think we need to target qualification this time round and that is what I am here to do.
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