Former Black Stars midfielder, Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu, has urged Ghana’s U-20 national team, the Black Satellites, to prioritize qualifying for the upcoming U-20 World Cup. After securing a place in the next U-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON)—which will serve as the World Cup qualifying tournament—the team narrowly missed winning the WAFU Zone B U-20 Championship, falling 2-1 to Nigeria in the final.

Speaking with Sportblog.com, Agyemang-Badu emphasized the need for thorough preparation ahead of AFCON, expressing his hopes for a World Cup qualification.

“I wanted them to equal the record we set by winning the WAFU Cup, AFCON, and the World Cup. However, all is not lost. We will prepare very well for AFCON to secure our World Cup spot,” he stated.

The former Asante Kotoko player praised the team’s resilience and expressed confidence in Coach Desmond’s capabilities. “I was very impressed. They fight back even when they’re down. Desmond is an intelligent coach, and the team shows a lot of promise,” Agyemang-Badu noted.

As Ghana aims for its fifth AFCON title, they also set their sights on a place in the World Cup tournament in Chile next year.