Ghana’s U20 national team, the Black Satellites, have officially secured a spot in the quarterfinals of the ongoing U20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), and they’ve done it with a game to spare.
Despite facing the Central African Republic (CAR) later today in their final Group C match, Ghana’s qualification is already confirmed, thanks to a combination of results and CAF tournament rules.
Why Ghana Are Through:
The key lies in Tunisia’s 3rd-place finish in Group B with just 3 points. According to the tournament format, the two best third-placed teams from the three groups advance to the knockout stage.
With Group A guaranteed to produce one of those teams , either Zambia (5 points) or Egypt (4 points), the final third-place spot became a battle between Groups B and C.
Ghana, with 4 points from two games, are already ahead of Tunisia in the third-place ranking. That alone guarantees that even if the Black Satellites finish third in Group C, they will qualify ahead of Tunisia.
What If Ghana Lose to CAR?
Even in a worst-case scenario, a loss to CAR and a Senegal win over DR Congo, all four teams in Group C would finish with 4 points. However, due to Ghana’s head-to-head win over Senegal earlier in the group stage, the Black Satellites would still rank above them. CAF’s regulations prioritize head-to-head results over goal difference, meaning Ghana cannot finish lower than third in the group no matter the outcome of today’s matches.
While Ghana are already assured of a place in the last eight, there’s still motivation to top the group. A win over CAR could see the Black Satellites finish first or second, which may provide a more favorable quarterfinal opponent.