Black Satellites head coach, Desmond Ofei, believes his team has an advantage in the 2025 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) draw, saying Ghana is fortunate to have avoided the highly competitive Group B and can “control the narrative” of the tournament.
Ghana has been placed in Group A alongside host nation Côte d’Ivoire, Tanzania, DR Congo, and a yet-to-be-named team from the UNIFFAC zone. This placement means the Black Satellites will not face some of Africa’s football powerhouses like Egypt, Morocco, and Nigeria, who are all in Group B.
Sharing his thoughts on the draw, Ofei expressed confidence in his team’s chances:
“We’re happy that we’re not in Group B because that’s a very interesting group. I feel like we’re in a position where we can control the narrative of this tournament from our perspective,” he said on Joy News Prime Sports.
While optimistic, Ofei acknowledged the challenge of being in a five-team group, which means Ghana will have to play one extra match compared to teams in the other groups.
“The only downside is that we’re in a group of five and we would have to play one extra game compared to the other groups, but in all, I think we’re in a good position to manage the situation and the narrative quite well.”
The 2025 U-20 AFCON will kick off on April 26, with the final scheduled for May 18. This year’s edition features 13 teams, and the top four semi-finalists will secure their place at the FIFA U-20 World Cup Chile 2025.
