Ghana national under-20 football team

Ghana Under-20
Nickname(s)The Black Satellites
AssociationGhana Football Association
ConfederationCAF (Africa)
Sub-confederationWAFU (West Africa)
Head coachDesmond offei
FIFA codeGHA
First colours
Second colours
First international
 Gambia 1 – 0  Ghana
(Banjul, Gambia; 9 September 1984)
Biggest win
 Ghana 6 – 0  Mali
(Accra, Ghana; 11 November 1990)
Biggest defeat
 Algeria 3 – 0  Ghana
(Algiers, Algeria; 27 August 1988)
 Colombia 4 – 1  Ghana
(Le Pontet, France; 29 May 2000)
 Argentina 3 – 0  Ghana
(Buenos Aires, Argentina; 8 July 2001)
FIFA U-20 World Cup
Appearances7 (first in 1993)
Best resultChampions (2009)
African Youth Championship
Appearances10 (first in Third Place 1991)
Best resultChampion Winners, 1993, 1999, 2009, 2021
Ghana national under-20 football team
Medal record
FIFA U-20 World Cup
Silver medal – second place 1993 Australia Team
Silver medal – second place 2001 Argentina Team
Gold medal – first place 2009 Egypt Team
Bronze medal – third place 2013 Turkey Team

Ghana national U-20 football team known as the Black Satellites, is considered to be the feeder team for the Ghana national football team. They are the former FIFA U-20 World Cup Champions and African Youth Champions. They have also been a four-time African Champion in 1995, 1999, 2009, 2021 and a two-time Runner-up at the FIFA World Youth Championship in 1993, 2001 and finished third in 2013. Ghana has participated in only six of the past 19 World Cup events starting with their first in Australia 1993 where they lost the World Cup final 1-2 to Brazil in Sydney and in Argentina 2001 where they lost the World Cup final 0-3 to Argentina in Buenos Aires. Incredibly, in 32 FIFA World Cup matches, Ghana has not lost a game in regulation below the Semi Final level of the FIFA U20 World Cup. They however failed to qualify for 3 consecutive events in UAE 2003, Netherlands 2005 and Canada 2007 until they made the Egypt 2009 Tournament.

They won the 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup in the Cairo International Stadium, Cairo, Egypt after defeating Brazil 4-3 on Penalties when the match ended (0-0) after extra time. This was the first time an African country won the FIFA U-20 World Cup Championship.

Superb young players

The Black Satellites reached the FIFA U-20 World Cup final in their 1st appearance in Australia 1993 (Australia 1993 U-20 html Stats here), catching many teams on the hop with their lightning changes of pace. In fact, nine of the 22 players in the "Black Satellites'" squad had lifted the FIFA U-17 World Championship two years earlier, so their performance could only really be considered a half-surprise. Still they were a joy to watch: enterprising and unpredictable.[1] They repeated the feat in 2001 succumbing to Tournament Hosts Argentina in the Final. Previously in 1997, they had lost 3-2 on a golden goal to Uruguay in Extra Time of the World Cup Semi Final. In 1999 eventual Champions Spain eliminated Ghana in the Quarter Final on sudden death penalty kicks after a 1-1 tied game.

What makes Ghana's footballers so dominant in their age group? FIFA Magazine[2] asked Otto Pfister. Football is not simply the most popular sport in this part of Africa, it is an absolute religion, he said. This is the way the game is regarded in Ghana. Young boys here think about football 24 hours a day and play for at least eight – whether on clay, rough fields or dusty streets. They develop their skills naturally, without any specific training, and end up with superb technique and ability on the ball. They are also fast and tricky, and can feint well with their bodies. Africa and South America have by far the best young footballers in the world – on a technical level they are superb. And technique is what it takes to make a good player.

What else goes towards making Ghana so strong? Otto Pfister continues; In Africa there is often only one way for many young lads to escape from poverty and to make their way up the social scale – football. Youngsters want to become stars and to play in a top European league. That is their main aim and they will do anything to achieve it. Let me give you an example: While I was coaching in Ghana I once told my team to be ready for training at three o'clock in the morning. At half past two they were all assembled and ready to go. They want to learn and they want to play for the national team. They know that in their country a national team player is a hero and enjoys a level of prestige that is not comparable to that in Europe. Another positive point for young players in Ghana is that there are many good coaches in the country who help develop the available talent and above all want to let them play. This policy pays off.[3] Today, many Ghanaian youngsters are in G14 Club Academies in Europe.

Competitive Record

FIFA World Youth Championship Record

Ghana national u-21 team before the friendly match with Bulgarian V AFG side Slivnishki Geroi (1-1), 18-11-2010, Slivnitsa, Bulgaria.
Year Round GP W D* L GS GA
Tunisia 1977 did not participate
Japan 1979
Australia 1981
Mexico 1983 Withdrew
Soviet Union 1985 did not qualify
Chile 1987 Disqualified
Saudi Arabia 1989 did not qualify
Portugal 1991
Australia 1993 Runners-up 6 3 2 1 11 6
Qatar 1995 did not qualify
Malaysia 1997 Semi finals 7 4 1 2 12 8
Nigeria 1999 Quarter finals 5 3 2* 0 8 2
Argentina 2001 Runners-up 7 5 1 1 8 5
United Arab Emirates 2003 did not qualify
Netherlands 2005
Canada 2007
Egypt 2009 Champions 7 5 2* 0 16 8
Colombia 2011 did not qualify
Turkey 2013 Third Place 7 4 0 3 16 12
New Zealand 2015 Round of 16 4 2 1 1 5 6
South Korea 2017 did not qualify
Poland 2019
Argentina 2023
Chile 2025 to be determined
Total 7/24 43 26 9 8 76 47
  • Silver background color indicates second-place finish at the World Cup.
  • Gold background color indicates winners at the World Cup.

*Denote draws including the 2009 Final match decided on penalty kicks v Brazil 4-3p when the match ended (0-0) After Extra Time, and the 1999 Quarter-Final match decided on penalty kicks v Spain (7-8p).

Team honours and awards

Current squad

The following players were selected for the 2022 Maurice Revello Tournament.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Club
1 1GK Gregory Obeng Sekyere (2003-12-10)10 December 2003 (aged 18) Ghana Berekum Chelsea
2 2DF Augustine Agyapong (2004-01-21)21 January 2004 (aged 18) Ghana Asante Kotoko
3 2DF Bismark Anim (2004-09-13)13 September 2004 (aged 17) Ghana Tudu Mighty Jets
4 4FW Alex Opoku Sarfo (2004-10-20)20 October 2004 (aged 17) Ghana Benab
5 2DF Kwabena Boahen Gogoe (2004-07-04)4 July 2004 (aged 17) Ghana Dreams
6 3MF Mohaison Mahmoud (2005-04-21)21 April 2005 (aged 17) Ghana United Black
7 3MF Collins Boah (2005-12-24)24 December 2005 (aged 16) Ghana Dreams
8 3MF Baafi Amankwah (2003-08-21)21 August 2003 (aged 18) Ghana Hearts of Oak
9 4FW Mohammed Yahaya (2004-11-10)10 November 2004 (aged 17) Ghana Tamale City
10 4FW Emmanuel Annor (2003-04-29)29 April 2003 (aged 19) Ghana Bechem United
11 4FW Zubairu Ibrahim (2004-06-02)2 June 2004 (aged 17) Ghana King Faisal
12 3MF Isaac Pappoe (2002-02-07)7 February 2002 (aged 20) Ghana Golden Kick
13 2DF Moses Bawa (2004-06-25)25 June 2004 (aged 17) Ghana Baffour Academy
14 3MF Abass Samari Salifu (2004-07-02)2 July 2004 (aged 17) Ghana Accra Lions
15 2DF Jonas Adjei Adjetey (2003-12-13)13 December 2003 (aged 18) Ghana Berekum Chelsea
16 1GK Vincent Anane (2003-08-15)15 August 2003 (aged 18) Ghana Legon Cities
17 4FW Mustapha Yakubu (2005-04-25)25 April 2005 (aged 17) Ghana Heart of Lions
18 3MF Isaac Mensah (2002-02-07)7 February 2002 (aged 20) Ghana Hearts of Oak
19 3MF Aaron Essel (2005-07-30)30 July 2005 (aged 16) Ghana Bechem United
20 3MF Abdul Razak Abdullah (2004-11-03)3 November 2004 (aged 17) Ghana Heart of Lions
21 2DF Kelvin Abrefa (2003-12-09)9 December 2003 (aged 18) England Reading U–23
22 2DF Eugene Ampofoh Amankwah (2004-11-30)30 November 2004 (aged 17) Ghana Benab

Previous squads

Notable players

The following list consist of previous Ghana U-20 national team players who have won or were influential at the FIFA U-20 World Cup with the Ghana U-20 national team or the FIFA U-17 World Cup with the Ghana U-17 national team, and those who were part of the Ghana U-23 national team that won the bronze medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics. The list also includes the players who have graduated from the Ghana U-20 national team and gone on to represent the senior Ghana national team at the FIFA World Cup or African Cup of Nations:

Notable coaches

FIFA Tourney Manager name
Turkey 2013 Ghana Sellas Tetteh
Egypt 2009 Ghana Sellas Tetteh
Argentina 2001 Ghana Emmanuel Akwasi Afranie
Nigeria 1999 Italy Giuseppe Dossena
Malaysia 1997 Ghana Francis Oti Akenteng
Australia 1993 Ghana Fred Osam-Duodu

2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup World Cup Winner Squad

 Ghana

Head coach: Ghana Sellas Tetteh

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 1GK Daniel Adjei (1989-11-10)10 November 1989 (aged 19) Ghana Liberty
2 2DF Samuel Inkoom (1989-06-01)1 June 1989 (aged 20) Switzerland Basel
3 3MF Gladson Awako (1990-12-31)31 December 1990 (aged 18) Ghana Heart of Lions
4 2DF Jonathan Mensah (1990-07-13)13 July 1990 (aged 19) South Africa Free State Stars
5 2DF Daniel Addo (1989-09-03)3 September 1989 (aged 20) Ghana King Faisal
6 2DF David Addy (1990-02-21)21 February 1990 (aged 19) Portugal FC Porto
7 3MF Abeiku Quansah (1990-11-02)2 November 1990 (aged 18) France Nice
8 3MF Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu (1990-12-02)2 December 1990 (aged 18) Ghana Asante Kotoko
9 3MF Opoku Agyemang (1989-06-07)7 June 1989 (aged 20) Qatar Al-Sadd
10 3MF André Ayew (c) (1989-12-17)17 December 1989 (aged 19) France Marseille
11 4FW Latif Salifu (1990-08-01)1 August 1990 (aged 19) Ghana Liberty
12 2DF Ghandi Dassenu (1989-08-09)9 August 1989 (aged 20) Ghana Liberty
13 3MF Mohammed Rabiu (1989-12-31)31 December 1989 (aged 19) Ghana Liberty
14 2DF Daniel Opare (1990-10-18)18 October 1990 (aged 18) Spain Real Madrid
15 2DF Philip Boampong (1990-01-01)1 January 1990 (aged 19) Ghana Arsenal
16 1GK Robert Dabuo (1990-11-10)10 November 1990 (aged 18) Ghana Wa All Stars
17 2DF John Benson (1991-08-27)27 August 1991 (aged 18) Qatar ASPIRE
18 4FW Ransford Osei (1990-12-05)5 December 1990 (aged 18) Ghana Medeama
19 2DF Bright Addae (1992-12-19)19 December 1992 (aged 16) Ghana Wa All Stars
20 4FW Dominic Adiyiah (1989-11-29)29 November 1989 (aged 19) Norway Fredrikstad FK
21 1GK Joseph Addo (1990-11-02)2 November 1990 (aged 18) Ghana Sekondi Hasaacas

See also

Footnotes

  1. ^ "Australia 1993: Brazil make it three". FIFA. 1 September 2001. Archived from the original on 27 June 2007. Retrieved 1 September 2001.
  2. ^ "Superb Young Players". FIFA. 1 September 2001. Archived from the original on 8 June 2015. Retrieved 1 September 2001.
  3. ^ "Ghana: talented players as far as the eye can see". FIFA. 17 September 2004. Archived from the original on 27 October 2004. Retrieved 17 September 2004.

External links

  • 2007 Toulon Tournament Squad
  • Ghana Football Association – Official website
  • Ghana Premier League website
  • Ghanaweb Sports Page
  • RSSSF Archive of all FIFA U20 Matches
  • RSSSF Archive of all African U20 Matches
  • 2009 African U20 Final Highlights
Preceded by World Champions
2009 (First title) 		Succeeded by
Preceded by African Champions
1993 (First title) 		Succeeded by
Preceded by African Champions
1999 (Second title) 		Succeeded by
Preceded by African Champions
2009 (Third title) 		Succeeded by
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