Black Maidens head coach Joe Nana Adarkwa has set his sights on winning the WAFU B U-17 Girls Cup once again.

Ghana are in Côte d'Ivoire for the tournament, which also serves as part of their preparations for the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup.

As the Black Maidens prepare to face Burkina Faso in the tournament opener, Adarkwa has emphasised that the primary goal of their participation is to build a formidable team for the World Cup.

"We are here to compete for the World Cup… we are going to use this tournament to assess our players, to prepare them and go into the World Cup that will give us a good result," he said at the presser on Monday.

While the focus is on development, the coach was clear that the team is not in Yamoussoukro just to make up the numbers. "We are here for business," he affirmed.

"We are here to compete and compete with the best teams like Nigeria and all other groups here." He stressed the importance of a balanced squad, noting that every department, from attack to defence, has been strengthened.

"If you want to compete with the best, you have to strengthen your team," he explained.

He also highlighted the importance of his side to try and hold on to the title.

"Everything is high because we are defending champions. The last one that we played in Ghana, we won it right, so the spirit is already high, so we are here to defend it."