Ghana kicks off nationwide search for U-17 players

The technical handlers of the Black Starlets, Ghana's national Under-17 team, on Thursday began a 10-region tour to select players for impending assignments.

The 17-day recruitment drive is to scout for players born on or after January 1, 2000, with the requisite physique, technique, skill and talent, who will be groomed for selection into the juvenile side.

Interested players are requested to report at any of the centers with their birth certificate or any proof of their date of birth and Ghanaian citizenship as well as the necessary kits for the exercise, the Ghana Football Association (GFA) said in a release.

Players who already have an MRI Certificate may bring it along, it said.

The Ghana FA is taking keen interest in the ages of the players with the emphasis on the MRI scan to avert any future ban.

Two years ago, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) inflicted a one-year ban on Ghana in the African U-17 tournament after one player was tested over age. The Black Starlet insisted the player was within the age limit with two MRI tests.

Meanwhile, the selected players from the regional tour would assemble at the Ghanaman Soccer Center of Excellence at Prampram next month for a justify-your- inclusion exercise. Endit