Ghana U-20 head coach Desmond Ofei has voiced concerns over the loss of several key players from the Black Satellites squad, just weeks before the 2024 WAFU B U-20 Championship in Togo, set to begin on October 17.
Ofei revealed that many players who helped Ghana clinch gold at the African Games in March have since moved to Europe to pursue professional careers, making squad rebuilding challenging. Among the players who have departed are standout performers Abdul Hakim Sulemana, who signed with Danish club Randers, and Aziz Issah, who joined Barcelona.
“We’ve lost a lot of players. Since the African Games, we’ve lost over 9 to 10 players that have traveled to Europe to start their careers,” Ofei stated. “It was challenging to rebuild the team, but we’ve found some quality players who I’m confident will step up during this tournament.”
Ghana has been drawn into Group A, where they will face Benin, Niger, and hosts Togo. The tournament will serve as a qualifier for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
The Black Satellites will be aiming for a return to the U-20 AFCON after missing out on the 2023 edition. The draw for the qualifiers was held on September 26 in Côte d’Ivoire.
