Ghana and Nigeria played out an entertaining 1–1 draw in the opening match of the 2025 WAFU Zone B U-20 Championship on Thursday, 10 July, at the Ghanaman Soccer Centre of Excellence in Prampram.
The highly anticipated clash between the two West African giants marked the start of the regional tournament, which runs until 23 July and serves as a qualifier for the 2025 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations.
Ghana took the lead in the first half, much to the delight of the home fans, but Nigeria equalised after the break to ensure both teams shared the points in their Group A encounter. The result leaves the group finely poised, with Benin completing the three-team group.
The meeting was a rematch of last year’s final in Togo, where Nigeria defeated Ghana 2–1 to clinch the title. In that 2024 final, Kparabo Arieri scored a first-half brace for Nigeria, while Jerry Afriyie pulled one back for Ghana. Afriyie went on to win both the Golden Boot and the Player of the Tournament awards, with five goals to his name.
Speaking ahead of the match, Ghana U-20 head coach Desmond Ofei had expressed confidence in his side’s ability to deliver on home soil.
“As a host nation, we don’t care who we meet. Whoever comes our way, we just have to show quality. We want to qualify and we’re not hiding it,” he told the press.
Ghana’s U-20 team will now look to secure a win in their final group match against Benin to guarantee a spot in the semi-finals. The top four teams from the competition will book their places in the 2025 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations.
The tournament, featuring seven nations from the West African sub-region, is being held at two venues—the Ghanaman Soccer Centre of Excellence in Prampram and the University of Ghana Stadium in Accra.
