Under 17 World Cup: Starlets Thrash India 4-0

The national Under 17 soccer team, the Black Starlets, yesterday massacred their Indian counterparts by four goals to nil, to qualify to the knockout stage of the ongoing tournament in India.

A brace from Captain Eric Ayiah and a goal each from Emmanuel Torku and Richard Danso completed the rout at the Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium.

The two times world champions went into the game highly psyched to win, considering their 0-1loss to USA on Monday.

Skiper Eric Ayiah opened the floodgates late in the first half when he connected into the roof from inside the box, after the Indian goalie had parried a goalbound effort back into play.

The Starlets’ captain doubled the lead for his side barely7 minutes after recess and was substituted in the 82nd minute of the game for Danso.

Danso, who plays for local side, WAFA FC, wasted no time in announcing his presence by scoring the third goal for the visitors.

One minute later, another substitute, Toku, who earlier came on for Sadiq, connected home for the Starlets’ fourth goal to top the group ahead of Columbia and the USA.

India Under-17 coach, Luis Norton, admitted after the game, his side were not good enough. “The Ghanaian players were stronger than us and the task looked impossible”, he said. However, coach of the starlets, Coach Paa Kwesi Fabin has expressed delighted over the win.

Source: Emmanuel Yeboah Britwum/ thePublisher