U-20 AFCON 2025: Black Satellites coach elated to avoid Flying Eagles

By Oyediji Oluwaseun Babatunde

The head coach of Ghana national U-20 team, Desmond Ofei, is on cloud nine after avoiding their West Africa rivals, Nigeria, in the group stage of this year’s edition of U-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) taking place in Cote D’Ivoire.

Black Satellites were drawn against host, Cote D’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Tanzania, and a team from Central Africa (UNIFFAC) in Group A.

Nigeria, on the other hand, will face the North African duo Egypt, Morocco, and South Africa in Group B.

Ghana lost 2-1 to Nigeria in the final of the WAFU B U-20 Championship last year.

Ofei said he is happy his team is not in the same group as the Flying Eagles.

“We’re happy that we’re not in Group B because that’s a very interesting group,” Ofei told Joy Prime Sports.

“I feel like we’re in a position where we can control the narrative of this tournament from our perspective.”

Flying Eagles hope to win the U-20 AFCON title in Cote d’Ivoire this year in a bid to end the Super Eagles’ bad experience of losing the final of the last AFCON in Abidjan.