Ghana U-20 forward Abdul Hakim Sulemana has voiced his disappointment following the Black Satellites’ heartbreaking quarter-final exit from the TotalEnergies CAF U-20 Africa Cup of Nations Egypt 2025.
Sulemana, who was named Man of the Match for his outstanding performance in the high-stakes clash against the host nation, described the defeat as unfortunate, attributing the outcome to a lack of luck despite the team’s effort and determination.
The match, held at the New Suez Stadium, ended in a dramatic 2-2 draw after extra time before Egypt edged Ghana 5-4 in a tense penalty shootout to seal a place in the semi-finals.
“The aim was to qualify for the World Cup, and after qualifying, we get to win the trophy,” Sulemana said after the game. “But unfortunately, of course, we are not happy. We are out at the quarter-finals. We are not happy at all.”
The forward played a pivotal role in Ghana’s comeback, including winning the penalty that led to the last-gasp equaliser in the 90+11th minute. Despite the spirited fight, Ghana’s journey ended prematurely — a bitter result for a team that had set its sights on a return to the U-20 World Cup in Chile.
“We gave all our hearts, and that’s where we wanted to get the win, but unfortunately, we didn’t have luck on our side,” Sulemana added.
The latest failure in 2025 means Ghana has not appeared at the U20 World Cup since their Round of 16 exit a decade ago.
