Ghana marched into the quarter-finals of the TotalEnergies CAF U-20 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt with a hard-earned 1-0 win over the Central African Republic (CAR), topping Group C in style after a tense showdown at the Suez Canal Stadium on Thursday, May 8.

The decisive moment came in the 84th minute when substitute Joseph Opoku latched onto a precision pass from Joseph Aidoo, kept his cool inside the box and calmly slotted the ball past the onrushing goalkeeper to seal Ghana’s passage into the last eight.

It was a goal that had been coming, crafted with patience, persistence and superior tactical discipline.

Dominant performance

With the pressure of qualification weighing heavily on them, the Black Satellites knew a point would suffice, but Coach Desmond Ofei’s side showed no interest in playing it safe.

From the first whistle, the Black Satellites asserted their authority with crisp passing, positional discipline and relentless pressing—yet the all-important goal remained elusive.

The Ghanaians dominated proceedings from the outset, dictating the tempo and piling on pressure, but their finishing repeatedly let them down. Aziz Issah and Andrews Adjabeng were constant threats in midfield, weaving through defenders and creating openings, but the final touch was missing until Opoku’s timely intervention.

With seven points from three matches—following a 2-1 win over Senegal and a goalless draw with DR Congo— the Satellites claimed the group’s top spot ahead of Senegal, who also qualified after seeing off DR Congo 2-0 in the other Group C fixture.

"This win reflects the maturity and resilience of this team,” said a proud Coach Ofei, whose side took a step closer to booking a slot at the FIFA U-20 World Cup later in the year. “We trusted our game plan and the boys executed it brilliantly. We’ll carry this confidence into the quarter-finals.”

CAR, on the other hand, had everything to play for but couldn’t find a way through Ghana’s resolute defence. 

Needing a victory to stay alive in the tournament, they found themselves pinned back for most of the match and managed only sporadic attacking moves. Their campaign ended with just one point and no wins—a shadow of their 2021 quarter-final form.

Crucially, Ghana’s group stage performance marks their first unbeaten run at this stage since 2013 and reinforces their ambitions of lifting a record-extending fifth U-20 AFCON title. 

The Black Satellites will now face one of the best third-placed teams from either Group A or B in Monday’s quarter-final clash.