Head Coach of Ghana’s U-20 side, Desmond Ofei, has expressed his excitement over the upcoming 2025 CAF U-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which is set to take place in Côte d’Ivoire.

The four-time champions, Ghana, will face host nation Côte d’Ivoire, Tanzania, and the Democratic Republic of Congo in the group stages.

Meanwhile, the Black Satellites are awaiting confirmation of the second team from the UNIFFAC Zonal Union, after Congo’s FIFA suspension.

Ofei remains upbeat about the prospect of facing top teams if Ghana progresses to the knockout stages.

“This can be the most exciting tournament in the history of the U-20 AFCON,” Ofei said.

“Many teams are now investing heavily in international players. If you look at Congo, for example, there are Belgian players in their squad, so it’s not going to be easy.

“There are no easy teams, with the big guns like Nigeria, Morocco, Egypt, Senegal, Gambia, and South Africa all representing.

"Qualifying from the group stages will mean we’ll likely face one of these giants.

“We have to set the standards and we need to be ready to compete for the win and qualification.”

The 2025 U-20 AFCON tournament will kick off on April 26, with the final scheduled for May 18.