Minister for Sports and Recreation, Kofi Adams, has expressed disappointment over the Black Satellites’ exit from the U-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), describing the quarter-final defeat as painful.
Ghana’s U-20 team was aiming for a place at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile later this year but saw their hopes dashed after a dramatic penalty shootout loss to Egypt, following a 2-2 draw in regulation time.
Despite the setback, Adams, who also serves as Member of Parliament for the Buem constituency, remains optimistic about the team’s potential.
He emphasised that the current squad is filled with promising talent that should be closely monitored and nurtured to bolster the national U-23 team.
“The U-20 team painfully exited at the quarter-final stage, but that team is very good. I believe the Black Satellites are a team that, with a few additions, will grow to become the U-23 team participating in the Olympic qualifiers,” Adams said.
The Black Satellites had a strong showing in the group stage, finishing unbeaten with two wins and a draw to top their group with seven points. However, their journey came to an end just one step away from securing a World Cup slot.