At the Suez Canal Stadium in Ismailia, Ghana’s Black Satellites wrapped up their U-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) group stage campaign in style, edging the Central African Republic 1-0 on Thursday, May 8, 2025, to top Group C with a perfect finish.

Coach Desmond Ofei’s decision to rotate his squad paid off handsomely. Making five changes to the side that triumphed over Senegal earlier in the week, he brought in Ishmael Addo, Andrews Adjabeng, Maxwell Azafokpe, Abdul Sulemana, and Joseph Aidoo, resting key players including Jerry Afriyie, who had returned to Spain to rejoin his club.

From kickoff, Ghana seized control, applying intense pressure and pinning their opponents deep into their half. Despite carving out multiple opportunities, the final touch was often missing, as the CAR defense held firm and Ghana’s attackers failed to convert early chances.

But persistence paid off late in the game. In the 84th minute, Joseph Aidoo delivered a sublime through ball to fellow substitute Joseph Opoku, who calmly slotted past the goalkeeper to break the deadlock. It was a moment of class that crowned a dominant display.

The result sees Ghana finish the group with seven points and no losses, securing a quarterfinal berth and underlining their credentials as title contenders.