WAFU B U20Q: Black Satellites secure semi final berth

The Ghana U20 men’s football team has secured qualification to the semi finals of the ongoing WAFU B U20 Championship after a 1-1 draw with hosts Togo on Wednesday took them top of Group A.

Forward Jerry Afriyie put Desmond Ofei’s men ahead before a spirited fightback from Togo earned their West African neighbours the equalizing goal to share the spoils.

Ghana opened the campaign with a 2-2 draw against Benin before following that up with a 2-0 win over Niger and now top the group with 5 points.

Niger join Ghana in second place after they narrowly beat Benin 1-0 in the other Group A match at the Stade de Kégué, as Benin and hosts Togo are booted out of the Championship.

Ghana now awaits the final results of Group B on Thursday, October 24, 2024, with Cote D’Ivoire, Burkina Faso and Nigeria, who are all in the race to secure qualification to the last four in a tightly contested Group.

The semi-finals of the sub-regional Championship will take place on Sunday, October 27, 2024.

The WAFU B U20 Championship serves as the qualification for the 2025 Africa U20 Cup of Nations, with only the finalists going through.

This 2025 U20 AFCON will also serve as the African qualifiers for the 2025 FIFA U20 World Cup in Chile, where the four semi-finalists will qualify automatically.