The 2023 AFCON qualifiers
The qualifying teams, Ghana and Mozambique, are set to clash at Baba Yara Sports Stadium on October 30. The said Kumasi Stadium has witnessed the recent international and continental competitions courtesy of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Champions League.
In case Ghana ascends, it is a consecutive qualification for the Black Meteors since the U-23 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) 2019. Even so, the winning seven nations will earn secure spots for the fourth edition of U23 Afcon by June 2023 in Morocco.
Meteors have been working hard towards this end goal. Supporters then celebrate this national achievement with BetKing, one of Ghana’s best betting service providers.
Ghana’s secured spot
Black Meteors are more than equipped, guaranteed by Ghana’s Under-23 national team head coach, Ibrahim Tanko. Meteors have been preparing since September. If they surpass Mozambique, Ghana will compete against neighboring national teams– the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Algeria, for the last qualifying rounds.
The victorious team will be part of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, where four teams from Africa will play. The fourth team will also have a qualifying match versus Asia’s fourth team. A total of 16 teams will contend for the men’s football division.
Second Round 1st Leg: Referee
As announced by Ghana Football Association, the center referee from Madagascar is Ben Amisy Tsimanohisty Ibrahim for U23 Afcon second round 1st leg. This match is bound to commence on October 23, 2022. He will team up with the following personnel:
Dimbiniaina Andrianarivelo: Assistant I
Pierre Jean Eric Andrivoa Vonjy: Assistant II
Njaka Lovasoa Raharimanatsoa: Fourth Referee
Sinon Philip Georges from Seychelles: Match Commissioner
Artur Machava: COVID-19 Officer
Altogether, they will officiate the scheduled match at Estádio do Zimpeto (Estádio Nacional do Zimpeto). A multi-purpose stadium in Zimpeto, Mozambique. Not long after, the second leg will inaugurate back in Ghana.
Second Round 2nd Leg: Referee
Continuing the same round, the 2nd leg’s appointed center referee is Bakary Papa Gassama. A 43-year-old award-winning referee from Gambian. He earned CAF Referee of the Year from 2014 to 2016. The former FIFA referee will be joined by the following:
Abdul Aziz Bollel Jawo as Assistant I
Omar Darboe as Assistant II
Lamin Jammeh as Fourth Referee
Yameogo Koudougou David from Burkina Faso as Match Commissioner
Christiana Baah as COVID-19 Officer
The game will launch at Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi, Ghana. Winners will proceed to the ultimate U-23 Afcon in Morocco next year.
AFCON 2023
The gap between the second edition of the U-23 Africa Cup of Nations is fairly noticeable. CAF is responsible for this rescheduling. As mentioned by Okeleji (2022), the organization postponed the last rounds of Afcon U-23 to prepare for the Qatar tournament. They allow the five World Cup-bound teams to prime.
Besides the jam-packed schedule, the rainy season contributes to this decision. This move is an edge for Ghana’s team to sharpen their skills. It will provide them with more time.
Black Meteor’s chances
In his recent interview, Black Meteor’s head coach, Ibrahim Tanko, hinted at the team’s progress. Since the team had no chance to show their skills at the Tokyo Olympics, Black Meteors are looking forward to the upcoming tournaments.
Despite the challenges in initial preparation, the team seeks further experience in training camps. He anticipates the fruits of hard work in competitions.
Conclusion
The time for the match that would decide the 2023 AFCON Qualifiers, the players are training hard to be the victorious ones. We are all looking forward to the match to see what these teams have in stall for us.