Desmond Ofei, the head coach of Ghana’s national under-20 team, the Black Satellites, has revealed his side’s ultimate goal is to qualify for the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile.
But first, the Black Satellites must tackle the hurdle of the 2024 WAFU Zone B Men’s U-20 championship set to come off in Togo from October 17 to 31.
The 2023 African Games gold winners have been drawn alongside host country Togo, Benin, and Niger.
The team has been in camp preparing for the championship faced local sides Legon Cities, SMAC, and 2023-24 Ghana Premier League winners, Medeama Sporting Club, in friendly matches.
Coach Desmond Ofei, prior to the local friendlies, led the team to Europe for a mini tour, determined to imbibe the national football philosophy into the new group of players.
Though he is confident in his team’s abilities, Coach Ofei refuses to undermine the importance of the WAFU championship, which is the gateway to the African championship, then to the World Cup.
“I don’t to speak too early but the ultimate goal is to qualify Ghana to the major tournaments and the ultimate goal is the World Cup because it has been a while. We don’t want to speak to early or too soon, WAFU is the most difficult tournament to qualify.
So we have to focus on the WAFU first because it is tough. It’s going to be in Togo. We have got a tricky group. First match we face Benin, Niger, then Togo,” he said on Max FM.
Having once won the World Cup in 2009 with former coach Sellas Tetteh, Ghana has not qualified for the global tournament since 2015.
