Black Satellites head coach Desmond Ofei says his side is ready to step up and prove their superiority when they face the Young Elephants of Ivory Coast in the semi-finals of the WAFU Zone B U20 Championship on Sunday. The match will be played at the Ghanaman Soccer Centre of Excellence in Prampram.
The host nation finished second in Group A with four points, following a 1-1 draw against Nigeria and a 1-0 win over Benin. Ivory Coast, meanwhile, were dominant in Group B, finishing with a perfect nine points after beating Burkina Faso, Niger, and Togo.
But despite the Ivorians’ impressive run, Coach Ofei believes the knockout stage presents a different kind of challenge. “Congrats to Ivory Coast. They did very well to top the group with 9 points but at this stage what matters most is who wins,” he said.
The Ghanaian tactician emphasized that performance on the day will determine the outcome, not past records. “It’s about how good you are on the day and for me that is what matters. They have a very passionate coach and a good squad but we just have to prove that we are better on the day.”
Ofei’s statement reflects a determined mood within the Ghana camp, where the players and technical team are eyeing a place in the final and ultimately lifting the trophy on home soil.
Kick-off is scheduled for 18:00 GMT, and a capacity crowd is expected to rally behind the Black Satellites as they battle the reigning champions for a ticket to the final.
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