Black Satellites head coach Maxwell Konadu says Ghana is fully prepared for the tough test against defending champions Nigeria in their opening match of the 2026 WAFU B U-20 Championship.
Ghana will face their West African rivals at the Lycée Scientifique Stadium in Yamoussoukro, Côte d’Ivoire, later today in a highly anticipated Group B clash.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference on Sunday, Konadu acknowledged the importance of the encounter but expressed confidence in his team’s preparation.
“I think we’ve prepared enough. The boys are ready. We played a couple of friendly games before coming here, and I think the boys are ready for the impending assignment ahead of us,” he said.
The experienced coach revealed that Ghana suffered an injury setback before travelling to Côte d’Ivoire, with a key defensive midfielder ruled out of the tournament.
However, Konadu believes the squad has enough quality to cope with the absence and deliver a strong performance.
“We made that correction at home before embarking on this trip. Our key and main defensive midfielder got hurt in training and couldn’t make the trip. But we’re building everybody for this job, and so we think we’re okay even without him,” he added.
Despite Nigeria’s status as defending champions, Konadu insists the Black Satellites have the ability and determination to compete against their rivals.
The former Asante Kotoko coach described Ghana-Nigeria encounters as special occasions where both sides give their maximum effort.
“We are game-ready. We pose the same threat to our Nigerian brothers. Matches between these two nations are always top-liners. Everybody goes in with his full arsenal, trying to carry the day,” Konadu stated.
Ghana has been drawn in Group B alongside Nigeria, Burkina Faso and Togo, with the Black Satellites aiming to secure qualification to the knockout stage and compete for the title.
The WAFU B U-20 Championship also serves as the qualifying tournament for the 2027 CAF U-20 Africa Cup of Nations, which will be hosted by Ghana.
