The Black Satellites of Ghana had to settle for silver in the WAFU Zone B Championship after losing the final to Nigeria’s Flying Eagles.
In the final match played at the Stade de Kégué in Lomé, Togo, on Wednesday, 30 October 2024, Nigeria defeated Ghana 2-1 to claim the trophy.
The Flying Eagles proved the stronger of the two sides, with Kparobo Arierhi opening the scoring for Nigeria in the 35th minute. Arierhi finished off a well-executed team move, leaving the Ghanaian defence in disarray.
Just before halftime, Arierhi struck again, giving Nigeria a comfortable two-goal lead going into the break.
The Black Satellites raised their game in the second half, pressing hard for a goal, but the Nigerian defence held firm against their attacks. Jerry Afriyie managed to breach Nigeria’s defence in the 76th minute, sparking hopes of a comeback for Ghana.
However, Ghana couldn’t find an equaliser, and the game ended 2-1 in favour of the Flying Eagles.
Despite the loss, Ghana secured a place in the 2025 Africa Under-20 Championship by defeating Ivory Coast in the semi-final. Ghana’s Jerry Afriyie was also awarded the Best Player of the Tournament.
Watch the highlights below:
Watch the reaction of some Ghanaians on the 2024 Ballon d’Or
EK