Ghana’s Black Satellites endured a difficult start to their 2026 WAFU B U-20 Championship campaign after losing 4-2 to defending champions Nigeria in a thrilling Group B encounter at the Charles Konan Banny Stadium in Yamoussoukro, Côte d’Ivoire.
The Flying Eagles wasted no time making their intentions clear, taking an early lead before Ghana fought back through Mohammed Zaidan, who calmly finished a chance created by captain Kelvin Nkrumah.
Nigeria, however, regained control of the contest with a deflected strike before converting from the penalty spot to head into the break with a commanding 3-1 advantage.
Ghana returned from the interval with renewed energy and pulled one back through skipper Kelvin Nkrumah, who made no mistake from the penalty spot to bring the scoreline to 3-2.
The Black Satellites pushed for an equaliser, but Nigeria put the result beyond doubt with a late penalty to complete a 4-2 victory and begin their title defence on a winning note.
Ghana will now shift focus to their next Group B fixture against Burkina Faso on Thursday before wrapping up the group stage against Togo on Sunday, August 2.
Despite already securing automatic qualification for the 2027 TotalEnergies CAF U-20 Africa Cup of Nations as hosts, the tournament provides Ghana’s young talents with valuable competitive exposure and a chance to build a stronger unit.
By: Bernard Mensah
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