By Ashiadey Dotse
The President of the Ghana Football Association, Kurt Okraku, has encouraged Ghana’s under-20 team, the Black Satellites, to aim for their fifth AFCON title in next year’s tournament. The team last won the under-20 AFCON in 2021 in Mauritania, led by former coach Abdul Karim Zito.
The Black Satellites have qualified for the 2025 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations, even though they lost to Nigeria in the WAFU B final on Wednesday. They had already secured their place before the final but showed a strong second-half effort, eventually losing 2-1 to Nigeria at the Stade de Kegue in Lome, Togo.
After the recent achievement, Kurt Okraku urged the team to win their fifth AFCON title under Coach Desmond Ofei.
In the final, Jerry Afriyie scored for Ghana in the 75th minute, but Nigeria’s Kparabo Arieri’s two first-half goals gave them the victory. The Black Satellites, however, are now ready for their AFCON return next year, following their last title win in 2021. Coach Desmond Ofei and his staff successfully led the team to qualify for the tournament.
The WAFU B U20 Championship is a qualifier for the 2025 Africa U20 Cup of Nations, with only Nigeria and Ghana securing qualification spots. Additionally, the 2025 U20 AFCON will serve as Africa’s qualifier for the 2025 FIFA U20 World Cup in Chile, with the top four teams earning automatic qualification.
