U-20 AFCON: Ghana’s Black Satellites Set for West African Clash with Senegal
Ghana’s Black Satellites are set to renew their West African rivalry with defending champions Senegal in a highly anticipated second group stage fixture at the U-20 AFCON in Egypt. The match kicks off on Monday, May 5, 2025, at 21:00 local time (18:00 GMT) at the New Suez Stadium.
This will be only the second-ever meeting between the two sides in the history of the tournament. The previous encounter came in the 2019 edition, where Ghana fell to a 2-0 defeat in the group stage. The Black Satellites will look to reverse that result and build on the team’s 1-0 semi-final victory secured over the Senegalese in the 2023 Africa Games hosted, and won, by Ghana.
Ghana’s experience against defending champions has been encouraging. Notably, in 1993, Ghana eliminated reigning champions Egypt in the semi-finals on their way to a runner-up finish. The Black Satellites will aim to draw inspiration from that historic performance as they prepare to face the current holders.
Ghana remains one of the most successful teams in African youth football and has a deep legacy in the U-20 AFCON. The match against Senegal provides a golden opportunity to reaffirm that status and advance in the competition.
The team opened its 2025 campaign with a 1-1 draw against the Democratic Republic of Congo. After conceding early, Musibau Aziz responded with a well-taken equalizer in the 24th minute.
The result ended Ghana’s run of three consecutive opening match victories (2015, 2019, 2021) and places added emphasis on securing points against Senegal.
However, Ghana’s track record in second group games remains strong. Since 1991, the Black Satellites have recorded seven wins, three draws, and only two defeats in their second fixtures of the group stage. Their most notable victory in a second group match came in 1999, when Ghana thrashed Angola 5-0.
In the Satellites’ opening match of the tournament, Hakim Sulemana was adjudged the player of the match with Aziz Musibau scoring Ghana’s goal in a 1-1 draw against a plucky Democratic Republic of Congo side.
Central Defender Aaron Essel marshalled Ghana’s backline and led the team in distribution, completing 57 of his 73 attempted passes, highlighting his importance in the team’s build-up play. Goalkeeper Gidios Aseako also put up a notable performance stepping up to save a number of sticky situations for the Satellites.
Ahead of the game, Coach Desmond Ofei has spoken of the team’s focus on converting its chances.
“Against DRC, we created numerous chances but could not convert them. We need to be more clinical in today’s game and that should ensure that we get the desired result to boost our chances of qualifying for the quarter-finals.”
Facing the reigning champions is never easy, but history shows Ghana has the quality and resilience to overcome such challenges. A positive result against Senegal would position the Black Satellites strongly for qualification from the group and send a powerful message to the rest of the continent.
The team concluded preparations for the match with a tactical session at the Army Stadium in Suez on Sunday [4th May, 2025] night.
As the team enters this high-stakes clash, fans across Ghana and beyond will be rallying behind the Black Satellites in their quest to reclaim continental glory, having won the 2021 Edition of the tournament.
