Black Meteors head coach Desmond Ofei is confident Ghana can overcome Libya in the second round of the 2027 TotalEnergies CAF U-23 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, insisting his team is hungry to prove its quality.

Erica Odeenyin Odoom

Published 26 Oct 2026, 09:00 GMT

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Black Meteors head coach Desmond Ofei is confident Ghana can overcome Libya in the second round of the 2027 CAF U-23 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, insisting his team is hungry to prove its quality.

Ghana will face Libya over two legs between November 9 and 17, 2026, with the first encounter scheduled to take place in Libya before the return leg in Ghana.

Ofei believes the time is right for the Black Meteors to make a strong statement, as the team seeks to end Ghana’s long absence from the Olympic football tournament.

“100%, I believe so because we feel that the time is right. It's been way too long and we are preparing really well. The boys are very hungry to prove to the nation that there's a lot of talent in this country,” he said.

The Black Meteors coach also stressed the importance of demonstrating Ghana’s standing as one of Africa’s leading football nations, expressing confidence in his players’ ability to deliver against Libya.

“Ghana is still one of the best footballing nations in Africa. It's up to us to show. The boys are very hungry to prove themselves and to give a good show.”

“It will be a good game and we'll do very well. We'll do everything in our power to beat Libya. And then in March, we'll take on whoever comes. We'll be ready,” Ofei added.

Libya secured their place in the second qualifying round after defeating Togo 4-1 on aggregate in the preliminary stage.

The North Africans held Togo to a 1-1 draw in Lomé before recording a commanding 3-0 victory at home to seal their progression.

Ghana, meanwhile, received a bye into the second round and will begin their qualification campaign against Libya.

A victory over Libya on aggregate would send the Black Meteors into the final qualifying round, where they would face the winner of the tie between Equatorial Guinea and Niger.

The final round of qualification is scheduled for March 22-30, 2027, with the three-round process set to determine the seven teams that will join hosts Egypt for the eight-team tournament.

Ghana’s qualification hopes also carry added significance, with the Black Meteors seeking to return to the Olympic Games for the first time since their appearance at the 2004 Athens Olympics.

Erica Odeenyin Odoom

Desmond Ofei says Black Meteors will beat Libya in U-23 AFCON qualifiers

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