Desmond Ofei blends league-based talent with eight overseas players as Ghana chase a 2027 U-23 AFCON ticket in Benghazi.
Ghana's next generation is ready for its big night, and this squad shows how the pipeline from the Ghanaian league to the global stage is shaping up. Head coach Desmond Ofei has named his final 23-man Black Meteors group for the CAF U-23 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Libya, with a place in the 2027 finals on the line.
The first leg is in Benghazi on Wednesday, 11 November 2026, and Ofei has gone with a blend of homegrown talent and players developing abroad. Eight foreign-based players made the cut, led by Barcelona B youngster Aziz Issah. He is joined by David Oduro of Annecy, Oscar Frimpong of Real Madrid II and Aaron Essel of Sacramento Republic FC.
The overseas group is completed by Phyenyin-Denis Marfo of SC Internacional, Lord Afrifa of SC Austria Lustenau, Joseph Opoku of Swansea City and Dan Adu-Adjei of HNK Rijeka. It is a spread of clubs across Europe, the Americas and beyond, and it shows how far Ghanaian talent travels.
The home-based contingent is just as important. Asante Kotoko pair Hubert Gyau and Emmanuel Sanja are in, along with Kelvin Nkrumah of Medeama SC, Alidu Labaran of Vision FC, Raymond Agyemang of Aduana FC and Ishmael Addo of Heart of Lions. Eric Wiafe of Swedru All Blacks, Owusu Ansah of Port City FC and Firdaus Mohammed of Steadfast FC are also among those picked.
The two-legged tie will test how well the mix of domestic and overseas players gels on the road. The Black Meteors will want to take a strong result from Benghazi into the return leg.
