Black Starlets midfielder Mark Kagawa Mensah says the players are well aware of the task ahead of them when they come up against Nigeria in the semifinal of the ongoing WAFU B U-17 Cup of Nations.

The two teams, on Tuesday evening, will be playing for a spot in the next edition of the U-17 Africa Cup of Nations to be staged in Morocco.

The Black Starlets have not been at the continental showpiece since 2017, when they were in the quarterfinals.

A game against Nigeria always rekindles a long-standing rivalry between the two teams. However, Kagawa Mensah is confident his side will give a good account of themselves.

"We know Ghana-Nigeria matches go beyond football,” he said. "It is a rivalry that carries history, pride, and passion. We are fully aware of what is at stake, and as a team, we are ready to give everything on the pitch to make the nation proud."

Ghana's place in the semifinal was confirmed following last week's win over Niger in their final group game, having drawn with Togo and lost to Cote d'Ivoire in the first two games.

The midfielder, who scored in the fixture, believes the win has lifted the mood within the squad.

"That win gave us the right momentum,” he added.

"We corrected a lot of our mistakes from the previous games, and now the team is in the right frame of mind. Personally, I feel motivated to deliver again for Ghana."

The winner of the game between Ghana and Nigeria will come up against the winning team from the Cote d'Ivoire and Burkina Faso fixture in the final.