Yusif Basigi, the coach of Ghana's U-20 female team, the Black Princesses, expresses confidence in his team's ability to reach the final of the ongoing 2024 African Games.
Their upcoming challenge against Senegal in the semifinals of the women's competition is set to kick off at 20:00GMT.
Anticipating a tough match, Basigi remains optimistic about securing a spot in the final.
Reflecting on their previous encounter with Uganda, where they successfully executed their game plan despite conceding an early goal, Basigi emphasizes the importance of strategic preparation.
"We played Senegal during the World Cup qualifiers and scored them but going into this game, we will not underrate them. I have watched them play and they are a good side so we will go into the game taking it very serious as it will be a tough game."
Despite facing an injury-induced instability in the defense, Basigi asserts their readiness to rectify mistakes and maintain defensive solidity.
"Due to the inconsistent nature of our back line due to injury, it makes us a-bit unstable. Though we conceded first before equalising, we will go into the next game to make sure it doesn’t happen as we have worked on our mistakes during training."
Acknowledging Senegal as a formidable opponent, Basigi underscores the need to approach the game with utmost seriousness.
Despite striker Mukarama's recent missed opportunities, Basigi reaffirms his faith in her abilities and vows to continue supporting her development.
"Mukarama missing chances doesn’t mean she won’t feature for the team. I will keep using her and hopefully, she will gain her confidence back.
"She is the lead striker and being away for a long time sometimes makes you inconsistent but the team will keep allowing her to continue playing and I know she will convert most of her chances going forward.
With a focus on refining Mukarama's goal-scoring prowess during training, Basigi remains hopeful for a strong performance against Senegal.
"We worked on her goal-scoring prowess during training and hopefully against Senegal, the chances fall to her to convert," Basigi added.
The match is set to take place at the Cape Coast Sports Stadium.