Upper West Region moved to the top of Group A at the 2026 MTN Elite U-19 Championship with a second successive victory, while defending champions Eastern Region recovered from their opening-day defeat by beating Western Region 1-0 on Wednesday, 26 August.
Abdulai Bashit scored the winning goal as Upper West Region edged past Volta Region 2-1, taking their points total to six from two matches and strengthening their position at the head of the section.
Upper West had taken the lead in the 32nd minute through Collins Yamba, who finished a first half in which his side established a deserved advantage.
Volta Region responded after the interval when Apetor Paris equalised, bringing the match level and giving them renewed hope of completing a comeback.
Upper West Region restored their lead through Bashit, whose decisive goal secured another important result. It also took his tournament total to four goals, following the hat-trick he scored in his team’s opening fixture against defending champions Eastern Region.
That first match ended in a 3-2 victory for Upper West Region, and their follow-up success against Volta Region leaves them with a strong early command of Group A.
Eastern Region respond
Eastern Region began the day needing a positive result after their opening setback, and they got it with a narrow win over Western Region at the GFA Technical Centre.
Ransford Siaw settled the contest by scoring in the eighth minute. His early effort proved to be the only goal of a closely fought game as Eastern Region protected their advantage for the remainder of the match.
The victory was Eastern Region’s first of the campaign and keeps them in contention as they attempt to retain the title. Their disciplined display after taking the lead earned them three valuable points in their second Group A fixture.
Western Region were unable to find an equaliser and will now need to regroup in their remaining matches as they seek to improve their position in the group.
The two results have given Group A an early shape, with Upper West Region setting the pace and Eastern Region recovering ground after their difficult start. Volta Region and Western Region will look to respond in their next fixtures as the group stage continues.
The 2026 MTN Elite U-19 Championship remains an important development competition for young players in Ghana. It provides some of the country’s brightest emerging footballers with the opportunity to improve their technical and tactical skills while gaining experience in competitive matches.
