Ghana national under-20 football team

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Ghana Under 20

Nickname(s)

The Black Satellites

Association

Ghana Football Association

Confederation

CAF (Africa)

Head coach

Francis Oti Akenteng

Captain

Eric Bekoe

FIFA code

GHA





First kit





Second kit

First international

Gambia 1 - 0

Ghana
(Banjul, Gambia; 9 September 1984)

Biggest win

Ghana 6 - 0

Mali
(Accra, Ghana; 11 November 1990)

Biggest defeat

Algeria 3 - 0

Ghana
(Algiers, Algeria; 27 August 1988)

Colombia 4 - 1

Ghana
(Le Pontet, France; 29 May 2000)

Argentina 3 - 0

Ghana
(Buenos Aires, Argentina; 8 July 2001)

African Youth Championship

Appearances

6 (First in 1991)

Best result

Winners, 1995, 1999

Medal record
FIFA U-20 World Cup
Silver	1993 Australia	Team
Silver	2001 Argentina	Team

Ghana national U-20 football team known as the Black Satellites has been a two-time African Champion in 1995 and 1999 and a two-time Runner-up at the FIFA World Youth Championship in 1993 and 2001. Ghana has participated in only four of the 16 World Cup events starting with their first in Australia 1993 where they lost the World Cup final 1-2 to Brazil in Sydney and their most recent in Argentina 2001 where they lost the World Cup final 0-3 to Argentina in Buenos Aires. Incredibly, in 25 FIFA World Cup matches, Ghana has not lost a game in regulation below the Semi Final level of the U20 World Cup.

They have however failed to qualify for the past 3 events in UAE 2003, Netherlands 2005 and Canada 2007.

1 Superb young players
2 Competitive Record
- 2.1 FIFA World Youth Championship Record
3 Team honours
4 Current (2007) U-20 squad
5 Previous squads
6 Famous Players
- 6.1 Players with Ghanaian roots
7 Famous Coaches
8 See also
9 External links
10 Footnotes

[edit] Superb young players

The Black Satellites reached the FIFA U-20 World Cup final in their 1st appearance in Australia 1993 (Australia 1993 U-20 html Stats here), catching many teams on the hop with their lightning changes of pace. In fact, nine of the 22 players in the "Black Satellites'" squad had lifted the FIFA U-17 World Championship two years earlier, so their performance could only really be considered a half-surprise. Still they were a joy to watch: enterprising and unpredictable^[1]. They repeated the feat in 2001 succumbing to Tournament Hosts Argentina in the Final. Previously in 1997, they had lost 3-2 on a golden goal to Uruguay in Extra Time of the World Cup Semi Final. In 1999 eventual Champions Spain eliminated Ghana in the Quarter Final on sudden death penalty kicks after a 1-1 tied game.

What makes Ghana's footballers so dominant in their age group? FIFA Magazine^[2] asked Otto Pfister. Football is not simply the most popular sport in this part of Africa, it is an absolute religion, he said. This is the way the game is regarded in Ghana, but it is the same in Nigeria too - they also won the U-17 title twice. Young boys here think about football 24 hours a day and play for at least eight - whether on clay, rough fields or dusty streets. They develop their skills naturally, without any specific training, and end up with superb technique and ability on the ball. They are also fast and tricky, and can feint well with their bodies. Africa and South America have by far the best young footballers in the world - on a technical level they are superb. And technique is what it takes to make a good player.

What else goes towards making Ghana so strong? Otto Pfister continues; In Africa there is often only one way for many young lads to escape from poverty and to make their way up the social scale - football. Youngsters want to become stars and to play in a top European league. That is their main aim and they will do anything to achieve it. Let me give you an example: While I was coaching in Ghana I once told my team to be ready for training at three o'clock in the morning. At half past two they were all assembled and ready to go. They want to learn and they want to play for the national team. They know that in their country a national team player is a hero and enjoys a level of prestige that is not comparable to that in Europe. Another positive point for young players in Ghana is that there are many good coaches in the country who help develop the available talent and above all want to let them play. This policy pays off.^[3]. Today, many Ghanaian youngsters are in G14 Club Academies in Europe.

[edit] Competitive Record

[edit] FIFA World Youth Championship Record

Year	Round	GP	W	D*	L	GS	GA	GD
1977	Did not participate	-	-	-	-	-	-
1979	Did not participate	-	-	-	-	-	-
1981	Did not participate	-	-	-	-	-	-
1983	Withdrew	-	-	-	-	-	-
1985	Did not qualify	-	-	-	-	-	-
1987	Disqualified	-	-	-	-	-	-
1989	Did not qualify	-	-	-	-	-	-
1991	Did not qualify	-	-	-	-	-	-
1993	Runners-up	6	3	2	1	11	6	+5
1995	Did not qualify	-	-	-	-	-	-
1997	Semi finals	7	4	1	2	12	8	+4
1999	Quarter finals	5	3	2*	0	8	2	+6
2001	Runners-up	7	5	1	1	8	5	+3
2003	Did not qualify	-	-	-	-	-	-
2005	Did not qualify	-	-	-	-	-	-
2007	Did not qualify	-	-	-	-	-	-
Total	4/16	25	15	6	4	39	21	+18

Silver background color indicates second place finish at the World Cup.

*Denote draws including the 1999 Quarter-Final match decided on penalty kicks v Spain (7-8p).

FIFA U20 World Cup Record

FIFA U20 World Cup Record	GP	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Success
World Cup Finals	25	15	6	4	39	21	+18	72.0%
Africa U20 Quals	55	32	12	11	78	36	+42	69.09%
U20 Total	80	47	18	15	117	57	+60	70.55%

FIFA U20 World Cup Record by team

Ghana versus	GP	W	D*	L	GF	GA	GD	Success
Brazil	2	1	0	1	3	3	0	50%
Argentina	2	1	0	1	1	3	-2	50%
Republic of Ireland	2	1	0	1	3	3	0	50%
Uruguay	2	0	1	1	3	4	-1	25%
Portugal	1	1	0	0	2	0	+2	100%
Russia	1	1	0	0	3	0	+3	100%
England	1	1	0	0	2	1	+1	100%
Chile	1	0	1	0	1	1	0	50%
USA	1	1	0	0	1	0	1	100%
United Arab Emirates	1	1	0	0	3	0	+3	100%
Germany	1	0	1	0	2	2	0	50%
Japan	1	1	0	0	2	1	+1	100%
Croatia	1	0	1	0	1	1	0	50%
Kazakhstan	1	1	0	0	3	0	+3	100%
Costa Rica	1	1	0	0	2	0	2	100%
Spain	1	0	1*	0	1	1	0	50%
Paraguay	1	1	0	1	2	1	+1	100%
Iran	1	1	0	0	1	0	+1	100%
France	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	50%
Ecuador	1	1	0	0	1	0	+1	100%
Egypt	1	1	0	0	2	0	+2	100%
Total	25	15	6	4	39	21	+18	72.00%

*Denotes draws including the 1999 Quarter-Final match

decided on penalty kicks v Spain (7-8p).

[edit] Team honours

FIFA World Youth Championship runners-up: 2

1993, 2001

African Youth Championship: 2

1993, 1999

African Youth Championship runners-up: 1

2001

[edit] Current (2007) U-20 squad

Squad for the Toulon Youth Festival in France from May 31 - 9 June 2007.

GK 1 Patrick Antwi - Liberty Professionals
GK 16 Isaac Ackon - Gamba All Blacks
DF 2 John Boye - Heart of Lions
DF 4 Louis Quainoo - Tema Youth
DF 5 Hannan Giwah - Real Tamale United
DF 6 Samuel Enzemoba - Real Sportive
DF 7 Solomon Addy - Ashanti Gold
MF 8 Mubarak Wakaso - Ashanti Gold
MF 11 Alhaji Sani - Ashanti Gold
MF 14 Issah Awal - Real Sportive
MF 15 Yahaya Mohamed - OGC Nice
MF 17 Samed Oppong - King Faisal Babes
MF 18 Yahaya Seidu - PAOK FC
MF 19 Yaw Frimpong - Feyenoord Academy Ghana
FW 3 Felix Baffoe - Liberty Professionals
FW 10 Eric Bekoe (Captain) - Heart of Lions
FW 9 Emmanuel Clottey - Great Olympics
LWF 12 Douglas Nkrumah - Asante Kotoko
RWF 13 Ekow Benson - Tema Youth
FW 20 Bradley Hudson-Odoi - Fulham F.C.

This team was eliminated 4-3 on penalty kicks by Burkina Faso after a 1-1 aggregate tie in the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup African Qualifiers on 22 October 2006.