The stage is set for the 2025 U20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Côte d’Ivoire, with Nigeria and Ghana—two of Africa’s biggest footballing rivals—placed in separate groups.
Seven-time champions Nigeria have been drawn in Group B, where they will face former winners Egypt and Morocco, alongside 1997 runners-up South Africa.
Meanwhile, Ghana will compete in Group A, featuring hosts Côte d’Ivoire, DR Congo, Tanzania, and a yet-to-be-determined qualifier from the UNIFFAC region.
Nigeria remains the most decorated team in U20 AFCON history, boasting seven titles to Ghana’s four. While both nations have two silver medals each, the Flying Eagles hold the edge in bronze medals, having won it four times—twice as many as Ghana’s Black Satellites.
Ghana’s head coach, Desmond Ofei, expressed relief over avoiding the more competitive Group B.
“We’re happy that we’re not in Group B because that’s a very interesting group,” Ofei told Joy News Prime Sports. “I feel like we’re in a position where we can control the narrative of this tournament from our perspective.”
However, Ghana faces an additional challenge due to the five-team structure of their group, which means they will play one extra match compared to teams in four-team groups.
“The only downside is that we’re in a group of five, meaning we’ll play one more game than teams in the other groups. But overall, I think we’re in a good position to manage the situation.”
Although Ghana and Nigeria won’t meet in the group stage, a knockout-stage showdown remains a strong possibility. The top four teams from the tournament will qualify for the 2025 FIFA U20 World Cup, setting the stage for high-stakes encounters.
Ofei believes this could be one of the most competitive U20 AFCON tournaments in history.
“Many teams are investing in international players. Take DR Congo, for example—they have Belgian-based players in their squad. There are no easy teams, with big guns like Nigeria, Morocco, Egypt, Senegal, Gambia, and South Africa all involved.”
Both Nigeria and Ghana secured their U20 AFCON spots through the WAFU-B region, with Nigeria defeating Ghana 2-1 in last year’s final. Ofei, however, attributed that loss to fatigue, as Ghana had to play an extra qualifying match compared to Nigeria.
A similar situation could arise again due to Ghana’s five-team group, but Ofei is confident in his team’s preparation and squad depth this time.
“I think we’re in a very good position. If we prepare well, we have everything in our hands to go as far as possible.”
“A strong bench will be crucial—we need to rotate wisely in such a demanding tournament.”
The 2025 U20 AFCON kicks off on April 26, with the final set for May 18. A total of 13 teams will battle for continental glory and a place in the FIFA U20 World Cup later in the year.
We win!
— The NFF 🇳🇬 (@thenff) October 30, 2024
Fulltime in Lome
Ghana🇬🇭 1-2 🇳🇬Nigeria
Kparobo Arierhi's two goals in the final hands Nigeria the WAFU B U20 title.#SoarFlyingEagles pic.twitter.com/vGu1UYzc6r
