Asmah backs Ghana U20 to down Mali

Ghana U20 defender Patrick Asmah says they are capable of beating Mali in the next stage of the Fifa U20 World Cup in New Zealand.

The Black Satellites have been handed a tough draw as they face Mali in the round of 16.

Coach Sellas Tetteh and his side finished on top of Group B ahead of Austria, with six-time champions Argentina and Panama crashing out.

Asmah, who will not be available for selection after accumulating two yellow cards, is backing his colleagues to knock Mali out.

“Playing Mali will be very difficult but I trust my colleagues to deliver because we have done it before,” he told Goal.

“We played this same team at the African Youth Championship in Senegal in March and we lost the first game but managed to beat them in the third place game so we can defeat them again.

“I have heard a lot about this fixture and that is not a surprise to me because the two sides are playing very well in the competition.

“Now we need to show them that we are the better side and we will approach the game with all seriousness.”

However, Asmah is dejected to be missing the game but hopes to bounce back to help the team win a second Fifa U20 World Cup trophy.

“I’m very sad that I will not play this game but I know there are good players to step in. I hope to come back strongly to help the team because it is our dream to win this trophy,” he said.

This will be the third time Ghana and Mali will be meeting this year. Mali defeated Ghana 1-0 in the group stage while Ghana took their revenge by handing them a 3-1 drubbing in the third place match to win bronze at the 2015 African Youth Championship held in Senegal early this year.