Ghana U-20 coach Desmond Ofei has pledged to win the ongoing 2024 WAFU B U-20 Championship after leading the Black Satellites to the final.
The team earned their spot with a hard-fought 2-1 comeback win over Ivory Coast in the semifinal on Sunday.
Reflecting on the match, Ofei said, “Going into the game, it was a difficult match. We didn’t start great; Ivory Coast is a good team. “They had a plan and made some changes that we didn’t expect, but in the end, we had to fight.
“Looking at all our games, it wasn’t easy. I think we gave away the goal too easily, but we came back very strong, and we deserve this win for sure.
“The nation needs this victory, to be honest, and we are very happy because this will elevate what we are doing behind the scenes and take it to the next level for sure. We are bringing the Cup home, 100%,” he added.
Ivory Coast took an early lead with a goal from Loukou Jaures just 18 minutes into the game. Ghana managed to level the score through an own goal before the halftime break.
The match was decided when Jerry Afriyie, who had already scored three goals in the tournament, converted a penalty after the Black Satellites were awarded a foul in the box.
Ghana will now face Nigeria in the final, following their 3-1 victory over Niger.
Reaching the final has also secured Ghana’s qualification for the 2025 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament.
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