U-20 AFCON: Karim Zito declares Ghana vs Gambia a must-win clash

Coach Abdul Karim Zito has declared Monday’s final group match against Gambia as a must-win for the Black Satellites to ensure qualification to the quarterfinals of the African U20 Cup of Nations.

The Black Satellites were held to a goalless draw in their second group game against Morocco which was played at the Stade Municipal Nouadhibou.

In a very competitive game that both coaches described as a “match of evens”, the two teams failed to create more scoring opportunities or find the back of the net.

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Coach Zito admitted that though his side did not create lots of chances, they exhibited their good defensive prowess to keep the Moroccans at bay.

He indicated that the result, though not what he expected, still puts Ghana on top on the group and in pole position to qualify to the quarterfinals.

“Like I said before the game, any match involving Ghana and Morocco is a tough match at every level. It was a match of interest and a match of equals. Though we came into the game for a draw, we are okay with the result because four points still puts us in a good place to qualify to the next round”.

“We didn’t create lots of opportunities but defensively we were good because they were on the offensive often. The bottom line now is we must beat Gambia on Monday to seal qualification to the next stage”, he stated.

Head Coach of the Moroccan side, Zakaria Abboub described Group C as the most competitive in the competition and intimated that his team were playing not to lose the game because they knew the quality of the Ghanaian side.

Substitute Sampson Agyepong who suffered a severe injury as a result of a tackle was rushed to the hospital towards the end of the game.

The player however stable now and is set to rejoin his teammates in Ghana’s team hotel.

The Black Satellites will take on Gambia with Morocco also set to face Tanzania simultaneously to determine the final rankings for the group.