WAFU B U20: Maxwell Konadu confident Black Satellites will bounce back after Nigeria defeat

Black Satellites head coach Maxwell Konadu remains confident his side will recover strongly despite suffering a 4-2 defeat to defending champions Nigeria in their opening Group B match of the 2026 WAFU B U-20 Championship in Yamoussoukro, Côte d'Ivoire.

Ghana produced encouraging spells during the contest but were ultimately punished for costly defensive lapses as the Flying Eagles claimed all three points in an entertaining West African derby at the Charles Konan Banny Stadium.

Speaking after the match, Konadu admitted his side had fallen short defensively but acknowledged Nigeria deserved victory.

"It was quite a difficult game. We planned to start with a high press to see how our opponents would react. In the process, we gave away some cheap goals that could have been avoided."

The Black Satellites coach was gracious in defeat, praising the defending champions for capitalising on Ghana's mistakes.

"Having said that, we can't take anything away from our colleagues. They did well and played better than us, and we have accepted that. The only thing now is to bounce back and try to win the games ahead of us."

Konadu said his technical team had anticipated Nigeria's physical approach but admitted that defensive errors proved costly.

"We knew they were going to come hard at us because physically they are built and organised. We were also organised, but by giving away two cheap goals, we made life difficult for ourselves."

The former Ghana international stressed that tightening the team's defensive structure will be the immediate priority ahead of the Black Satellites' next Group B fixture.

"We need to quickly fix that problem. Going into the next game, we'll be working on our defence and making sure we avoid the mistakes we made today."

Despite the defeat, Konadu believes there were positives to build on and identified valuable lessons that his young squad must carry forward.

"At any given time, you still have to maintain your defensive structure. When you go into transition and cannot recover quickly, it becomes a problem. You have to remain resolute in the heat of the contest and cope with the intensity of the game."

The coach also pointed to moments of lost concentration, while reminding everyone that his squad is still developing at youth level.

"The players lost concentration at certain moments. They have been told to always be aware of their surroundings before going into tackles. But these are also young players, so we have to understand. We'll work on it and bounce back."

The Black Satellites will now shift their attention to Thursday's crucial Group B encounter against Burkina Faso before concluding the group stage against Togo. Konadu and his players will be determined to respond positively as they continue their campaign in the WAFU B U-20 Championship.