U20 AFCON: Ghana edge Central African Republic to top Group C and book Quarter-Final spot

Ghana's U20 national team, the Black Satellites, sealed a narrow 1-0 victory over the Central African Republic (CAR) on Thursday night at the Suez Canal Stadium in Egypt, finishing top of Group C and progressing to the quarter-finals of the 2025 TotalEnergies CAF U20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

Opoku’s late heroics seal the deal

In a tense, hard-fought encounter, substitute Joseph Opoku emerged as the match-winner, netting the decisive goal in the 84th minute following a blistering counter-attack initiated by Joseph Aidoo’s long-range pass.

Opoku dazzled fans with a brilliant solo effort—skipping past three defenders before coolly slotting home past the CAR goalkeeper. The late strike sent the Ghana bench into wild celebrations and solidified their place at the top of the group with seven points from three matches.

Ghana entered the clash knowing that a draw would be enough to advance, having already beaten Senegal 1-0 and drawn 1-1 with DR Congo. Coach Desmond Ofei's side showcased impressive tactical discipline, maintaining structure at the back while probing for openings through Aziz Issah and Andrews Adjabeng in attack.

Despite dominating possession, Ghana struggled to convert chances until Opoku’s late intervention sealed a deserved victory.

“This outcome reflects our patience and tactical discipline,” said coach Desmond Ofei. “The players showed maturity and composure. We’ll take this momentum into the knockout stage with confidence.”

Eyes on the Prize: Record-Extending 5th Title in Sight

With this result, Ghana advances to the quarter-finals unbeaten—a feat they last achieved in 2013. The four-time U20 AFCON champions are chasing a record-extending fifth title and will next face one of the best third-placed teams from Groups A or B in the knockout round.

Meanwhile, CAR bows out of the competition with just one point, ending a disappointing campaign after making the quarter-finals in 2021.

What’s Next?

The full knockout stage draw will be finalized after Friday’s group-stage fixtures. Ghana will be closely watching to see who emerges as their quarter-final opponent, as they gear up for a potential run to the title.