WAFU B U20 Championship: Many key players are no longer part of the team – Desmond Ofei

Ghana U20 head coach Desmond Ofei has expressed concerns over the loss of key players from the squad that triumphed at the African Games in March, just weeks before the 2024 WAFU B U20 Championship kicks off in Togo on October 17.

Ofei noted that many of the Black Satellites have moved to Europe to pursue professional careers since their last competition in March.

Among those making the transition are standout players such as Abdul Hakim Sulemana, who signed with Randers in Denmark, and Aziz Issah, now with Barcelona.

“We’ve lost a lot of players. I think since the African Games we’ve lost over 9 to 10 players that have travelled to Europe to start their career,” he said.

“So it was challenging to rebuild the whole team. We’ve got some good quality in the squad that I’m sure they can show something during this tournament.”

Ghana has been placed in Group A alongside Benin, Niger, and host nation Togo. This tournament will serve as the qualifying event for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

The draw for the qualifiers was conducted on September 26 in Côte d’Ivoire. The Black Satellites will aim to return to the U20 Africa Cup of Nations after missing the previous edition in 2023.