Starlets face a daunting task in Junior Elephants

The National under-17 football team, the Black Starlets must overturn a 3-1 deficit they suffered at the hands of the Junior Elephants of Cote D'Ivoire when they come face to face on Sunday.

The aggregate winner of the two-leg tie qualifies for the finals of the African U-17 Championship slated for Togo from 11 to 25 March 2007.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has appointed Nigerian match officials to handle Sunday's clash at the Sunyani Coronation Park.

FIFA referee S. Aliu Ibrahim would be at the centre with compatriots Madaki Sani and Sani Zubaira assisting. Ghana's Nicholas Djomoah will be the fourth referee while Mamadou Keita from Mali will be the Match Commissioner.

Ghana, two-time Africa and World Champions in the age competition in 1995 and 1999 will need at least two unanswered goals to make their dreams a reality.

Team coach, Bashiru Hayford who will be in the stands to watch his side due to a match suspension from the first leg is expecting every heart to be put in it.

“We played our hearts out but were simply unlucky in the first leg. Nonetheless, we hope to deliver the goods this weekend,” Bashiru Hayford said after a training schedule in Sunyani.

“We want to do better than our predecessors by going to Togo to win the trophy for the third time before finishing off with a world conquest,” he said.