Black Starlets head coach Mingle says he personally embarked on an extensive scouting exercise across Ghana to identify players for the national U-17 team ahead of the upcoming WAFU Zone B U-17 Championship.
Speaking to GFA Senior Communications Manager Sheick Tophic-Abdul Kadir Sienu at the Ghanaman Soccer Centre of Excellence in Prampram, Coach Mingle explained that his scouting exercise took him to several parts of the country.
He said he began in Wa before moving to Bolgatanga, Tamale, Techiman, Kumasi, Obuasi, the Western North Region, Ho and finally Accra.
According to the coach, the exercise enabled him to identify a large pool of talented young players from different parts of the country.
“From my scouting, I realised that there is a lot of talent across the country. However, you cannot always find a complete player; sometimes, you have to identify raw talent and nurture it,” he said.
The Black Starlets began their screening process with players born in 2010, with Coach Mingle explaining that his approach differed from the traditional preference for smaller-statured players.
He said the technical team deliberately selected some tall, raw talents with the intention of developing their technical and tactical understanding of the game.
“Normally, we tend to select boys with smaller stature, and that sometimes results in our players being bullied at tournaments. But this time, we have picked some raw, tall boys whom we can teach and develop, particularly in terms of how to play the game,” he explained.
The players also underwent mandatory MRI screening, which Coach Mingle described as the first major requirement for eligibility.
From the first batch of 45 players, approximately 26 passed the MRI screening, while another group of about 17 players was subsequently assessed.
The coach revealed that 29 players are currently in camp, with the number expected to be reduced to 23 for the final squad.
Coach Mingle added that some talented players who failed to pass the MRI screening remain in his database and could potentially be considered for the U-19 setup in the future.
The Black Starlets are currently intensifying preparations ahead of the WAFU Zone B tournament in Burkina Faso.