Ghana U20 head coach Desmond Ofei is hopeful that his star forward, Jerry Afriyie, will soon leap the senior national team, the Black Stars, following his impressive performances at the 2024 WAFU B U20 Championship in Togo.
Afriyie, who plays for Thoughts FC, was named both the Best Player and Top Scorer of the tournament, where he played a pivotal role in guiding Ghana to the final.
Despite a narrow 2-1 defeat to Nigeria in the final, his contributions were crucial in securing Ghana’s qualification for the 2025 U20 Africa Cup of Nations.
Ofei, who has closely worked with Afriyie, expressed his pride in the forward’s growth and potential.
“We’re really happy with Jerry. He’s a very hungry player, down to earth, and, as you know, he’s a natural goal scorer. I’m happy for him,” Ofei said.
“His future looks very, very bright. It’s now up to him to take the next step, and hopefully, that will include moving to Europe to join a good team where he can continue to develop and hopefully get an opportunity with the Black Stars.”
Afriyie’s standout tournament performance included five goals in five matches, with a crucial brace in Ghana’s opening game against Benin, another goal in the final group match against Togo, and a consolation goal in the final against Nigeria.
