The Black Satellites of Ghana have booked a spot at next year’s U20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) after beating Cote d’Ivoire 2-1 at the Stade Municipal in Togo.
Jerry Afriyie’s second half strike secured victory for the Black Satellites, who maintained their unbeaten run in the tournament and secured a spot in the finals of the WAFU Zone B competition.
Desmond Offei’s side had a tough start to the game after Loukey Jaures gave Cote d’Ivoire the lead in the 18th minute with a superb strike.
The Black Satellites, despite going down by a goal, dominated play with some football but were unable to break the strong Ivorian defence.
But the Ivorians could hold on to the resistance for long as the Black Satellites pulled parity on the brink of halftime.
The Black Satellites started the second half on the front as they searched for the lead, and it came in the 54th minute when Afriyie converted from the penalty spot.
Despite the late surge from the Young Elephants to pull parity, the Black Satellites held on to their lead and secured victory at the end of the match.
The Black Satellites, who have secured automatic qualification to the next U20 AFCON, await the final opponents, which could be either Niger or Nigeria.
The 2025 U20 AFCON would serve as the qualifiers for the 2025 FIFA World Cup in Chile, where the four semi-finalists secure automatic qualification.