WAFU U-20: Ghana coach Desmond Ofei cautious of Ivory Coast threat

Ghana under-20 national team coach Desmond Ofei has said that his charges are ready to face the Young Elephants of Ivory Coast in the semifinals of the WAFU Zone-B U-20 tournament on Sunday.

Ghana finished second in Group A with four points, following a 1-1 draw against Nigeria and a 1-0 win over Benin. Ivory Coast, meanwhile, were dominant in Group B, finishing with a perfect nine points after beating Burkina Faso, Niger, and Togo.

Coach Ofei believes the knockout stage presents a different kind of challenge.

“Congrats to Ivory Coast. They did very well to top the group with 9 points but at this stage what matters most is who wins,” he said.

“It’s about how good you are on the day and for me that is what matters. They have a very passionate coach and a good squad but we just have to prove that we are better on the day.”

The crunch encounter will kick-off at 18:00 GMT at the Ghanaman Soccer Centre of Excellence.