U-20 AFCON: Why Ghanaian players need sense of unity – Latif Salifu

Photo Credit - Ghana Football Association (GFA).

A key member of Ghana’s 2009 U-20 WAFU ZONE B, Africa and World Cup winner, Latif Salifu has called for unity among the current squad in order to make an impact in the ongoing AFCON U-20 tournament.

The Black Satellites will open their 2025 CAF U-20 Africa Cup of Nations tournament against DR Congo on Friday, May 2 in Suez, Egypt with the aim of replicating the 2009 squad.

Ghana qualified for the tournament after placing second to Nigeria at the WAFU ZONE B Tournament in Togo and are now paired in Group C alongside defending Champions Senegal, DR Congo and Central African Republic.

Latif Salifu, 34, played a role in Ghana’s success in 2009 where the team swept the sub-regional tournament in Nigeria before cleaning up the continental glory in Rwanda and capping it with the World Cup in Egypt.

The former Liberty Professionals winger spoke to Accra-based Radio Gold.

“If you compare our era, we were very mature in terms of football but I don’t know strong the current squad is. But what will help them in this tournament is the sense of unity, which will take them far,” he told Radio Gold.

“Football is a collective effort and mistakes do happen in football is the team must be united for the competition just like it happened to us in 2009 in Egypt.

When asked about how a coach can help a squad win a tournament, the former Berekum Chelsea forward emphasized that, managers play important roles in a team’s success.

“Coaches help a great deal because some coaches can help bring out the talent in you and others can really disturb a player’s progress.

“I remember watching the team at the 2024 Africa Games in Ghana. The players under coach Desmond Ofei’s instruction were very aggressive on the pitch and if they play like they did plus the sense of unity, I believe coach Desmond Ofei can take them far.

The tournament began on April 27 and it will run through to May 18 across Cairo, Ismailia and Suez among 13 nations. The semifinalists will qualify for the FIFA U-20 World Cup to be hosted in Chile later this year.