Satellites qualify for 2019 Youth Championship

The national U-20 male football the Black Satellites have qualified for the African Youth Championship (AYC) scheduled for Niger next year, after holding the Young Squirrels ofBenin one all, in the second leg of the qualifiers at Stade Rene Pleven, Cotonou, Benin.

A Prosper Ahiabu goal for Ghana ensured that the Black Satellites finished the final qualifier for the AYC 2019, with a 4:2 aggregate, as Ghana beat Benin 3:1 in the first leg of the qualifier in Cape Coast a week ago.
Coach Jimmy Cobblah’s lads gave a good account of themselves as they were determined to make Ghana and themselves proud in a game that looked tricky.

Cobblah before the team’s departure noted that, he was going to make things very difficult for the Young Squirrels, though the game would be very tough.
“We are going to have a really tough game on our hands in Benin, but we are equal to the task.

“They came here to get one goal, which makes the return leg open, but such is football, now we have to devise plans to control them in the return leg and we have to prepare for that.

“We would have to play a compact midfield in the return leg, after studying them carefully and we are going to attack them in the return leg, but with a very compact and solid midfield.

“They are very good and I anticipate a better performance from them in the second leg, but we have an aim to qualify ahead of them and we must do that,” he added.

The 15th edition of the biennial international youth tournament, which would see seven other countries joining host Niger would see top four teams of the tournament qualifying for the 2019 Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) U-20 World Cup in Poland as the Confederation of African Football (CAF) representatives.

Benin failed to add goals to their tally in the game as the match ended in a scoring draw, thus, Ghana qualifying on the aggregate 2-4 after the Satellites 3-1 victory back in Ghana.The Black Satellites have finally qualified after missing out in the previous edition held in Zambia last year.