Priscilla Otchere

By Ameenu Shardow

Ex -Ghana star Sammy Kuffour feels elated following the success of the Ghana U-17 women’s team.

The Black Maidens beat China 2-0 on Sunday to book a historic place in the quarter finals of the U-17 Women’s World Cup in Azerbaijan.

The win over the weekend was just on the heels of an emphatic 5-0 win against Uruguay to get Ghana’s chances back on track following the opening group defeat to Germany.

Captain of the side, Priscilla Okyere was one of six girls selected by Kuffour and ex national teammate Nii Odartey-Lamptey during the maiden Airtel Rising Stars competition.

And Kuffour feels some personal fulfillment to have contributed his part in the Black Maidens’ success story.

“I am very happy for the success of the U-17 girls team at the World Cup,” he told GHANAsoccernet.com

“I feel very proud to have contributed to it because Odartey (Lamptey) and myself selected the captain (Prisiclla Okyere) during the Airtel Rising Stars.

“She was part of six girls we selected and today she is the captain of the national team that is making all of us proud.”

The UEFA Champions League winner also urged other corporate bodies to invest into youth development programs to unearth more talents for the nation.

“You realized that with just one competition we have been able to produce a player like Priscilla Okyere,” he adds.

“There are a lot of other good players and we need to create more opportunities for them to be seen which will someday benefit the nation.

“More companies should be looking towards this direction because it has a huge potential of getting future stars.”

The Black Maidens will take on Japan in the quarter-finals on Friday.