Black Satellites will aim to replicate the success of the Black Princesses when they face Senegal in the semi-final of the African Games men’s football on Tuesday night.
The match will be played at the Accra Sports Stadium, with victory securing a spot in the final.
The Black Princesses, Ghana’s U-20 women’s team, defeated Senegal on Monday night in Cape Coast, securing a place in the women’s football final of the 13th edition of the games. They will face holders Nigeria in the final on Thursday.
Now, the Black Satellites, the men’s U-20 team, need to follow suit and secure their chance to compete for a gold medal on home soil. Their opponents, Senegal, present a formidable challenge, and the Satellites must be at their best to progress.
Desmond Ofei, the coach of Ghana, appears well-informed about the Senegal team, as he revealed during the pre-match conference.
He said, “For us once again, it’s against a very tough opponent. Senegal is a good team and they performed well last year in the U17 and U20 tournaments. They went to the World Cup and suffered one loss and two draws.”
“We are also in a rebuilding phase, and my players have rested well. We are preparing diligently for the semi-finals. There is no room for luck in the semi-finals. Reaching this stage means you are doing something right.”
Ofei also emphasised the importance of being tactically aware and sharp on the duels, as well as being well organized and controlling the ball well.
He stated that the team has been working on all aspects of their game since starting camp in October, including physical and mental preparation.
If the match goes into penalties, Ofei is confident that his team will be ready, thanks to the training they have received from his assistant coach Nii Odartey Lamptey, who is responsible for penalty kicks.
The match is scheduled to kick off at 8 pm local time in Accra.