Black Satellites Bow Out of WAFU U-20 Championship After 2-1 Defeat to Côte d’Ivoire
Ghana’s Black Satellites have crashed out of the ongoing WAFU Zone B U-20 Championship following a 2-1 defeat to Côte d’Ivoire in a thrilling encounter at the Ghanaman Soccer Center of Excellence.
The young Ghanaian side got off to a flying start, breaking the deadlock just two minutes into the match through former Black Starlets captain Benjamin Tsivanyo, who calmly finished to give Ghana an early lead and send fans into celebration.
However, the Young Elephants responded quickly, restoring parity in the 12th minute when Abdoul Goudousse Bamba found space and finished with composure to make it 1-1.
The contest remained tight and fiercely competitive, but it was Côte d’Ivoire who eventually gained the upper hand. In the 70th minute, Ali Kone capitalized on a defensive lapse to score and give his side the lead for the first time in the game.
Despite a spirited effort from the Black Satellites in the final stages, they were unable to find an equalizer, and the match ended 2-1 in favour of the Ivorians.
Ghana, who last won the WAFU U-20 Championship in 2020, will now have to wait longer to end their title drought in the regional competition.
Côte d’Ivoire will advance to the final, where they are set to face Nigeria at the University of Ghana Stadium.
