The Black Satellites of Ghana secured gold in the men’s football event at the 2023 African Games on Friday night.
The highly anticipated final pitted Ghana’s U-20 side against Uganda in a battle for supremacy at the Accra Sports Stadium.
After a tense first half with no goals, the match reached a fever pitch in the second half. Jerry Afriyie emerged as the hero for Ghana, delivering a late goal that sealed their victory and crowned them champions of the tournament.
This triumph marks a significant achievement for Ghana, echoing their success at the 2011 edition in Maputo.
Ghana displayed exceptional prowess from the outset, nearly finding the opening goal within the first 20 minutes, only to have it disallowed by the referee due to an infringement in the box.
Despite several promising opportunities for both teams in the first half, Ghana remained unable to break the deadlock, with Abdul Hakim Sulemana coming close.
As the game resumed after halftime, Desmond Ofei’s squad continued their relentless attack, maintaining dominance on their home turf.
However, the elusive winning goal remained just out of reach for Ghana until the dying moments of the match.
In a dramatic turn of events, Afriyie seized an opportunity on the edge of the box, unleashing a powerful low strike that eluded the Ugandan goalkeeper and sent the stadium into a frenzy.
With their lead secured, the Black Satellites displayed unwavering resolve to defend their advantage and clinch the coveted gold medal.
While Ghana celebrated their triumph, Uganda settled for the silver medal, with Senegal securing the bronze in the fiercely contested tournament.