Coach Kassim Ocansey Mingle has been appointed to lead Ghana’s next National Under-17 football team as preparations begin for upcoming international competitions.
The former national team coach will head a new technical team responsible for the development and management of players born in 2010.
His immediate task is to prepare the team for this year’s WAFU Zone B U-17 Qualification Tournament, which serves as an important pathway to continental youth competitions.
The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has assembled a technical team to support Coach Mingle in building a competitive squad. Hamza Mohammed has been named assistant coach, while Stephen Ahorlu will serve as goalkeepers’ trainer. Waisu Ali Mohammed has also been appointed team manager.
The newly constituted technical team has already begun work, with a nationwide scouting exercise currently underway to identify talented young footballers across the country.
The exercise is targeting players born in 2010 and is expected to cover all 10 football regions of Ghana.
According to the GFA, scouts will visit schools, Colts clubs, football academies and community teams to assess young players and provide them with an opportunity to earn a place in the national team.
The initiative is aimed at ensuring that talented players from every part of the country are given a fair chance to showcase their abilities.
The association believes the extensive scouting programme will help discover emerging talents and strengthen the future of Ghana’s youth football.
Meanwhile, Coach Dr. Prosper Narteh Ogum, who guided the National U-17 team made up of players born in 2009 earlier this year, has been assigned a new role. He will oversee preparations for the next cycle involving players born in 2011.
Dr. Ogum is expected to begin monitoring promising young talents and coordinating scouting activities ahead of the team’s assembly next year.
His appointment is part of a long-term development strategy aimed at ensuring continuity in the national youth setup.
The GFA says the arrangement will create a smooth transition between age groups and provide adequate preparation time for future international assignments, helping Ghana maintain a strong pipeline of young football talent for years to come.
