ACCRA, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- Ghana has stepped up preparations for the inaugural FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival, which opens on October 22 in Baku, Azerbaijan.
The West African nation has been drawn in Group W and will open its campaign against Uzbekistan on October 24 before facing Myanmar, Guam, the Bahamas and Kazakhstan.
The squad is currently in a training camp in Ghana's capital, Accra.
World soccer governing body FIFA said the competition is intended to give every member association experience of global competition while allowing teams to benchmark their development against counterparts from around the world.
According to FIFA, the inaugural edition will lay the groundwork for the competition to become a regular fixture on the international calendar, with the first girls' edition scheduled for next year.
More than 3,000 players, coaches and officials from 191 FIFA member associations are expected to take part. ■
