The Black Satellites suffered a 4-2 defeat to defending champions Nigeria in their opening Group B match of the 2026 WAFU B U-20 Championship at the Charles Konan Banny Stadium in Yamoussoukro, Côte d'Ivoire, on Monday.
Nigeria made a bright start and took an early lead before Ghana responded impressively. Captain Kelvin Nkrumah produced a fine assist for Mohammed Zaidan, who finished confidently to restore parity and bring the Black Satellites back into the contest.
The Flying Eagles regained the advantage through a deflected effort before extending their lead from the penalty spot, taking a 3-1 cushion into the halftime break.
Ghana showed renewed determination after the restart and reduced the deficit when captain Kelvin Nkrumah calmly converted a penalty to make it 3-2, raising hopes of a comeback. However, Nigeria were also awarded a spot kick late in the game and converted to seal a 4-2 victory.
Maxwell Konadu's side will now turn their full attention to Thursday's crucial Group B clash against Burkina Faso before concluding the group stage against Togo on Sunday, August 2.
With two matches still to play, Ghana remains focused on securing positive results and keeping alive its hopes of reaching the knockout stage.