Four-time champions Ghana began their TotalEnergies CAF U-20 Africa Cup of Nations Egypt 2025 campaign with a 1-1 draw against DR Congo at the Suez Stadium on Thursday.
In what was remarkably the first-ever meeting between these two sides at this age category, both teams produced a spirited performance that ultimately ended with honours even.
The West African side, drawn in Group B alongside Senegal, DR Congo, and Central African Republic, were put under early pressure by their Central African opponents who showed no signs of stage fright despite their long absence from the tournament.
Coach Desmond Offei’s starting eleven featured Gidios Aseko in goal, with Ofori McCarthy wearing the captain’s armband. The lineup was completed by DaCosta Antwi, Emmanuel Mensah, Ishmael Addo, Joseph Opoku, Aaron Essel, Andrews Adjabeng, Dennis Marfo, Musibau Aziz and the dynamic Abdul Hakim Sulemana.
DR Congo drew first blood in the 16th minute when captain Samuel Ntanda-Lukisa rose highest to head home Messy Manitu’s inch-perfect cross, leaving Aseko with no chance in the Ghanaian goal. The goal silenced the Ghanaian supporters temporarily but also sparked the Black Satellites into life.
The response from the four-time champions was swift and decisive. Just six minutes after going behind, Ghana equalised through a well-crafted team move. Norway-based Emmanuel Mensah delivered a precise cross that Dreams FC forward Musibau Aziz calmly slotted home in the 24th minute, bringing the scores level.
Before the equaliser, Ghana had created several promising opportunities through the enterprising trio of Andrews Adjabeng, Hakim Sulemana, and eventual goalscorer Musibau Aziz, signalling their attacking intent.
The first half ended all square at 1-1, setting up an intriguing second period. However, despite both sides pushing for a winner after the break, clear-cut chances were at a premium with defences largely on top. Abdul Hakim Sulemana’s darting runs caused problems for the Congolese defence, but the final ball was often lacking.
For DR Congo, this match marked their return to the U-20 AFCON finals for the first time since 2013, when they exited at the group stage. Their qualification for this year’s tournament came after winning the 2024 UNIFFAC tournament, demonstrating their growing strength at this level.
The historical context adds further intrigue to this result. While this was the first meeting between Ghana and DR Congo in this age category, the Congolese had previously faced West African opposition four times without recording a victory. Ghana, meanwhile, have a mixed record against Central African teams, having only faced Cameroon previously at this level.
The opening fixtures of Group B produced a series of closely contested matches that resulted in identical scorelines across the board. Earlier in the day, Senegal and Central African Republic set the tone for the group with a hard-fought 1-1 draw, before Ghana and DR Congo repeated the same scoreline in the later fixture.
Both teams will take positives from this opening encounter, with the group remaining wide open. Ghana’s next challenge comes on Monday at 18:00 GMT when they face Senegal in what promises to be another stern test for the Black Satellites.
