Black Satellites coach Desmond Ofei attributed Ghana’s 2-1 loss to Nigeria in the U-20 WAFU Zone B Championship to the absence of key players from the squad that won the 2023 All-African Games.
On Wednesday night, the Flying Eagles claimed victory with a brace from Kparobo Arierhi, while Ghana’s lone goal came from Jerry Afriyie, who scored his fifth goal of the tournament with just 15 minutes remaining.
After the match, Ofei praised his team’s resilience and commitment, especially in overcoming challenges to secure qualification for the U-20 AFCON.
He acknowledged that missing several crucial players from their African Games victory in March was a setback.
“Losing nine key players who were essential to our success at the African Games was a significant blow. However, it gave us the chance to develop a new core of young talent, and these boys have stepped up tremendously,” Ofei said.
“They deserve this qualification just as much as everyone else,” he added.
Despite the defeat, Ghana has earned a spot in the 2025 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament.
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