Ghana will make significant changes to the squad for next year’s TotalEnergies CAF U-20 Africa Cup of Nations after the Black Satellites were eliminated from the 2026 WAFU B U-20 Championship, head coach Maxwell Konadu has confirmed.
Ghana’s final Group B match ended in a goalless draw against Togo, leaving them third in the group with two points from three games. The result ended their hopes of reaching the semi-finals after a disappointing campaign.
The Black Satellites began the tournament with a 4-2 defeat by Nigeria before drawing 1-1 with Burkina Faso. They were unable to find a breakthrough against Togo, meaning they finished behind the two semi-finalists in their group.
Speaking after the early exit, Konadu acknowledged that the result was below Ghana’s expectations and said the technical team would rebuild the squad ahead of next year’s continental competition, which Ghana will host.
“We came here to win, but it didn’t work out. We will reorganise ourselves. Definitely, we will not present the same team for the AFCON next year,” Konadu said.
The former Asante Kotoko coach said the WAFU tournament had also been used to assess home-based players in a demanding international setting. Ghana retained a squad made up largely of players from domestic football because the coaching staff wanted to evaluate their ability against strong regional opposition.
“For this tournament, we maintained the home-based boys because we wanted to see what they could offer. Some of them have shown that, given the opportunity, they can really excel.”
Despite Ghana’s failure to progress, Konadu praised the players’ effort and attitude during the competition. He said the team had been affected by a shortage of international matches before the tournament but insisted the players responded positively.
“We are happy with the team, but not entirely satisfied with the overall performance. Before this tournament, we talked about the lack of international matches, but we still believed in the boys and encouraged them to give their best. For me, they gave everything.”
Konadu believes the experience will help Ghana prepare more effectively for the 2027 TotalEnergies CAF U-20 Africa Cup of Nations. The tournament provided the coaching staff with an opportunity to identify players who could progress to a higher level, while also highlighting weaknesses that must be addressed.
Ghana’s place at next year’s competition is already guaranteed because they are the hosts. Their attention will now switch to assembling a more competitive squad capable of challenging for the African title on home soil.
The technical team is expected to broaden its pool of players, continue monitoring emerging talent and place greater importance on international exposure as preparations begin for the continental showpiece. The WAFU B exit has therefore given Konadu and his staff an early indication of the areas requiring improvement before Ghana’s home tournament.
