WAFU U-20 Boys Cup: “Every game against Nigeria is important” – Desmond Ofei

Ghana U20 head coach Desmond Ofei has opened up on the rivalry against Nigeria ahead of the 2025 WAFU Zone B U20 Championship opener.

The clash is an opportunity for Ghana to redeem themselves from the Africa U20 Cup of Nations failure in Egypt where they missed out on qualifying for the FIFA U20 World Cup.

The Black Satellites open their tournament against Nigeria on Thursday, July 10 at the Ghanaman Soccer Centre of Excellence in Prampram.

Speaking ahead of the crucial Group A encounter, Ofei expressed his belief in the character and drive of his players.

“The first game against Nigeria will set the tone of how this tournament will go,” he said. “But we are ready. We know how good they are and we know how incredibly hungry they are as a squad. But we will be ready for them on Thursday.”

“We also have to show how hungry we are. We still have something to prove, especially after our exit from the AFCON and our inability to qualify for the World Cup,” he said. “We need to prove to the nation that the squad is a very good team.”

“As a host nation, we don’t care who we meet. Whoever comes our way, we just have to show quality and I’m pretty sure our boys are ready to fight,” he added. The team has been in camp for some weeks, fine-tuning tactics and building team chemistry ahead of what promises to be a fiercely contested competition.

The Black Satellites are grouped with Nigeria and Benin in Group A, meaning every match will be critical in their quest to qualify for the semi-finals and book a ticket to the next Africa U20 Cup of Nations. Thursday’s opener against Nigeria is expected to set the pace for the rest of the tournament.