Head coach of the Black Starlets, Laryea Kingston, has pointed out that the condition of the University of Ghana Stadium pitch hindered his team’s performance against Benin.

Ghana secured a victory in their second match, topping Group A and advancing to the semifinals of the ongoing WAFU B U-17 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. However, unlike their previous match against Cote d’Ivoire where they netted five goals, Kingston’s team managed only two goals on Wednesday afternoon.

Despite being pleased with his team’s overall performance, Kingston noted that the pitch’s state made it challenging for the Starlets to execute their desired style of play.

“I want us to be calm enough. The way we want to play, we want to be calm enough. Sometimes, it’s very difficult to play,” Kingston said post-match. “We have one or two challenges with the way the ball moves on the pitch; it’s a bit slow. So it slowed the way we wanted to play. For me, I think we dominated play today unlike against Ivory Coast.”

The Black Starlets aim to maintain their unbeaten run in the competition as they prepare for their semifinal match.