U-20 AFCON: Black Satellites Edge Central African Republic 1-0 to Top Group C
Ghana’s Black Satellites secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over the Central African Republic (CAR) in their final Group C match at the Suez Canal Authority Stadium in the ongoing TotalEnergies U-20 Africa Cup of Nations Egypt 2025, clinching top spot in the group with seven points.
The match opened with Ghana dominating the early exchanges. In the 6th minute, Andrews Adjabeng was flagged offside after threatening the CAR backline. CAR nearly punished Ghana three minutes later from a freekick, but goalkeeper Gidios Aseako was alert to save.
Ghana maintained possession and piled on the pressure, with Aziz Issah firing off target in the 11th minute. Aziz Musibau missed a golden opportunity in the 13th minute, shooting over the bar with only the keeper to beat. Issah continued to be a threat, unleashing a shot from the edge of the box in the 16th minute that went wide.
Ishmael Addo (8), with support from Lord Afrifa (9), controlled the midfield for Ghana, orchestrating numerous attacking moves. Despite several freekicks and corners, Ghana failed to convert their dominance into goals in the first half. CAR had a couple of good moments too but couldn’t capitalize. A yellow card to Sulemana just before the break added tension to the game, with Aseako again called into action to save from the ensuing freekick.
The second half saw a quieter start until Sulemana’s long-range effort in the 50th minute narrowly missed. Ghana continued to create chances, but Issah and Opoku were denied either by the CAR goalkeeper or off-target attempts. CAR’s Landry Tsongui-Abega (11) came close in the 56th minute but Aseako’s reflexes preserved the stalemate.
Coach Desmond Ofei made strategic substitutions, bringing on fresh legs in the 74th and 81st minutes, including forward Nagadzi, winger Joseph Opoku and midfielder Adu Boahene. On their part, the Central African Republic also made multiple changes in the second half, but these changes did not yield fruitful results for them. The breakthrough finally came in the 84th minute when Opoku embarked on a brilliant solo run and slotted past the CAR goalkeeper.
Addo’s composure and vision in midfield during the second half stood out as Ghana held on for the narrow win. Issah nearly doubled the lead in the 87th minute, but his effort was deflected over the bar, in the last meaningful action of the match. Michael Amer Mahama made his competitive international debut in the 89th minute.
With the 1-0 win, Ghana wrapped up the group stage unbeaten and advanced to the knockout stages with 7 points, asserting themselves as one of the tournament favourites. Ghana will return to Suez to await their opponents for the quarterfinal stage of the tournament.
