The Black Satellites boss shares his thoughts on the outcome of the draw for the upcoming continental championship
Ghana coach Abdul Karim Zito claims his outfit is unfazed by being grouped together with arch-rivals Nigeria and Cote d’Ivoire for the upcoming Wafu B Cup of Nations.
To be held in Togo from November 14-29, the tournament will serve as qualifiers for the 2021 Africa U20 Cup of Nations in Tanzania, which will in turn determine Africa’s representatives for the 2021 Fifa U20 World Cup.
In a virtual draw conducted in Abidjan in Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana will fight it out with their West African rivals for a place in the knockout stage.
Only the ultimate winner will qualify for the U20 Afcon.
“Well it is very interesting being paired against Nigeria and Cote D’Ivoire,” Zito told the Ghana Football Association’s official website on Tuesday’s development.
“It is not an easy pairing but we are working towards the ultimate, so to me, whatever it is, we have work hard and make it to the top.
“We have been training well and all the boys are in good shape, by the time we leave for the competition the team will be ready
“We have played three trial games so far and the aim is to get the boys in tune with what we are doing which is going very well.
“We looking at playing another trial game, possibly against a Western Region select side before we wrap up our preparations ahead of the tournament.”
Zito has been tasked to lead Ghana all the way back to the world championship, the Black Satellites having been absent from the competition since appearing at New Zealand 2015.
In the qualifying for the 2019 World Cup, Ghana failed to make it past the African stage as they fell off at the continental gathering in Niger.
In 2017, they failed to qualify for Afcon altogether.
The Black Satellites, 2009 world champions, have won the U20 Afcon on three previous occasions – in 1993, 1999 and 2009.
They remain the third most successful country in the history of the U20 Afcon, behind seven-time champions Nigeria and Egypt, who have won the cup four times.
Be the first to comment