Ghana held to 1-1 draw by DR Congo in U-20 AFCON opener

Four-time champions Ghana drew 1-1 with DR Congo. This match was their first in Group B at the TotalEnergies CAF U-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Egypt 2025.

The game was tense and competitive. DR Congo took the lead in the 16th minute. Captain Samuel Ntanda-Lukisa scored after a well-worked move.

Ghana responded quickly, equalizing just six minutes later. Aziz Musibau scored to bring the Black Satellites back into the game.

The rest of the match featured close calls and missed chances for both teams. Neither side could find a winner, leaving them both with one point each.

Historically, this was DR Congo's first meeting with Ghana at this level. They had faced West African teams four times before, including Nigeria and Mali. They did not win any of those matches, recording two draws and two losses.

Ghana has faced Central African teams mainly through Cameroon at finals. They won against Cameroon in 1993 and 2009 but lost once in 1993's group stage. They also drew four times against them.

This is DR Congo’s return to the U-20 AFCON since 2013. In their last appearance, they exited at the group stage after drawing with Gabon and losing to Mali and Nigeria. To qualify for this year’s finals, they won the 2024 UNIFFAC tournament.