WAFU ZONE B Boys Cup: “Ghana lacked maturity to go past Nigeria” – Desmond Ofei

Head coach of Ghana’s U-20 team, Desmond Ofei has indicated that his charges lacked maturity to go past Nigeria in the opening game of the 2025 WAFU ZONE B Boys Cup.

Aziz Musibau fired Ghana ahead in the first half before Abdullahi Muhammed leveled with a connecting header from a well taken corner kick in the 83rd minute at the Ghanaman Soccer Centre of Excellence on Thursday, July 10.

Desmond Ofei said: “The boys did really well, never an easy first game in a tournament especially in a game against a country like Nigeria, we have to give it up to them because they are going to the World Cup, and it’s a World Cup team.

“I think we dominated most of the game [and] and we had enough chances to kill it in the second half but in the end you can see that they showed character.

“We did as well, we lacked a bit of maturity at this level to see a game like this through, we will learn, we will improve and play against Benin and we will make sure that we will get the three points.”

Nigeria will face Benin on July 13th in their next game with Ghana battling Benin three days later in the Group B encounter.