–During the pre-match press conference, Ghana’s coach Ibrahim Tanko and Daniel Afriyie, the newly signed forward from FC Zurich, answered questions from the media in a relaxed and smiling manner.
–Could this be Ghana’s year? After finishing in fourth place in the previous edition, the Black Meteors enter the TotalEnergies CAF U23 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco 2023 with a clear objective in mind: qualifying for their seventh participation in the Olympics next year in Paris.
The Ghanaian tactician exudes confidence on the eve of his team’s first match. “The squad has prepared well, and we recently defeated Zamalek 4-1. This match concluded our training camp in Egypt, and I’m quite satisfied with what the boys produced during this preparation. We still have a few details to address.”
Ghana boasts a mature squad with several players, including captain Daniel Afriyie, who have experienced the joy of representing the senior national team.
“I participated in the last World Cup with the Black Stars, and every time I put on the jersey, I feel like I have superpowers. You know, once you’ve tasted a tournament of the magnitude of the World Cup, you only wish for one thing: to experience it again. The Olympics are a competition of the same caliber.”
“We didn’t take well to our failure to qualify for Tokyo 2023. It left a bitter taste. My players are motivated, and they just want to start playing. It won’t be easy against Congo. We have conducted multiple video sessions to analyze their game. The boys need to be in top form because there won’t be any warm-up matches,” added Ibrahim Tanko.
It’s worth noting that Ghana’s U23 team expanded to 25 players last night. Ernest Nuamah, who was previously absent, has joined his teammates in Rabat, Morocco.
Nuamah, called up for the first time to the senior national team, was with Chris Hughton’s squad last weekend during the draw between the West Africans and Madagascar in the qualifying match for the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations 2023 in Côte d’Ivoire.
This is the Black Meteors’ second participation in the U23 Africa Cup of Nations. In 2019, Ghana finished just outside the podium places.
