Former Ghana international Emmanuel Agyeman-Badu has urged the Black Satellites to shift their focus to qualifying for the upcoming U-20 World Cup. The team’s recent qualification for the 2024 U-20 Africa Cup Of Nations (AFCON), which doubles as a World Cup qualifier, has ignited hopes for Ghanaian football fans.
Despite a narrow 2-1 loss to Nigeria in the WAFU Zone B U-20 Championship final, Agyeman-Badu remains optimistic. The 2009 U-20 World Cup winner, who famously scored the winning penalty against Brazil, believes the team should channel their energy into preparing for the AFCON.
“I wanted them to equal the record we set at our time when we won the WAFU Cup, AFCON and the World Cup. However, all is not lost. We will prepare very well for the AFCON so that we can qualify for the World Cup,”Emmanuel Agyeman-Badu said.
The former Udinese player was impressed with the team’s performance in the WAFU tournament, praising their resilience and fighting spirit. “I was well impressed. I watched all their games. They have been doing well, they go down and fight back to win games. I know Desmond is a very good and intelligent coach,” he added.
As Ghana aims to secure its fifth U-20 AFCON title and a spot in the 2025 World Cup, Agyeman-Badu’s words of encouragement will undoubtedly inspire the young talents to strive for greatness.
