Former Ghana international and ex-Udinese midfielder Emmanuel Agyemang Badu has expressed his disappointment following the Black Satellites’ painful exit from the TotalEnergies CAF U-20 Africa Cup of Nations Egypt 2025.
Ghana crashed out of the tournament after a dramatic 5-4 penalty shootout defeat to host nation Egypt in the quarter-finals, following a thrilling 2-2 draw after extra time at the New Suez Stadium.
Reacting to the elimination, Badu described the outcome as a bitter pill to swallow for the team and Ghanaians at large.
“It’s just unfortunate,” Badu said. “It’s really sad for Ghanaians. The entire playing body would be disappointed. The team had a very good preparation for the tournament.”
The former Black Stars midfielder praised the quality of the squad and the technical team led by head coach Desmond Ofei, insisting that expectations were high heading into the competition.
“We went to the tournament with a good team and also a good technical team led by Desmond Ofei. We were all optimistic of reaching at least the semifinals and book a place for the World Cup in Chile, but it didn’t happen. It’s unfortunate,” he added.
Ghana had fought bravely to level the match deep into stoppage time and forced extra time, but their hopes were dashed in the shootout, marking yet another heart-wrenching exit at the hands of Egypt in a youth tournament.
Despite the setback, Badu urged the team and Ghanaians not to lose hope, emphasizing the importance of learning from the experience and continuing to build for the future.
Ghana’s wait for a return to the U-20 World Cup now continues, while Egypt advance to the semi-finals and move two wins away from their fifth continental title.
