Ghana narrowly beat Central African Republic 1-0 in their final group game of the ongoing U20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) on Thursday.
The win means Ghana is a step away from securing qualification to the continental showpiece, which is expected to take place in Chile in September.
The Black Satellites, who have not participated at the World Cup since 2015, created clear-cut opportunities in the opening half, but struggled to convert their chances.
Aziz Issah was afforded the biggest opportunity of the half when he beat C.A.R’s defence but failed to divert lofted attempt goalwards.
The persistency of the Black Satellites paid off in the second half, seven minutes from time, when Joseph Opoku shrugged off three challenges before slotting his finish past the onrushing C.A.R goalkeeper.
Ghana now lead the way in Group C with seven points and are scheduled to face the third-placed team in group A or B.
As it stands, Zambia, Group A, and Tunisia, occupy the third-placed spots and will likely lock horns with Ghana.
Ghana’s Abdul Aziz Issah was named man of the match after constantly running rings around C.A.R’s defence.
“It was a difficult game, but we needed a point to top the group,” Aziz said.
Ghana, who won the 2009 U20 World Cup and are four-time winners of the U20 AFCON competition, will be hoping to secure a fifth title.
