Ghana U-19 volleyball team secures qualification for 2024 Volleyball World Championships

The Ghana U-19 men’s volleyball team put in a great performance to win silver at the recently concluded 2024 U-19 Nations Volleyball Championship, which took place in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.

The second place has qualified the team for the 2024 Volleyball World Cup, which will be held in China later this year.

The young and brave Ghana U-19 volleyball team lost in two consecutive sets to Sierra Leone in the grand final. They lost 21-13 in the first set and 21-11 in the second as they failed to finish as runners-up.

The Ghanaian team led by their experienced head coach Seidu Ajanako, started the season with a 3-set win over DR Congo but still managed to qualify for the quarter-finals despite a 21-13, 21-18 defeat in the second match against Namibia.

Ghana will be looking to avenge their group stage defeat to Namibia in the quarter-finals by beating their counterparts in straight sets (22-20, 25-23) to advance to the semi-finals. They will be looking to defeat DR Congo once again in the semi-finals in straight sets (22-20, 21-18) to secure a spot in the final.

The inexperienced Ghanaians were dealt a heavy blow after losing to Sierra Leone in three sets (21-13, 21-11) in the final. This was a one-sided match.

Despite failing to clinch the ultimate title, the Ghanaian team, which had some notable talents such as Emmanuel Abbey (blocker) and Ebenezer Anyetei (Defender), left the tournament with much pride and promise after showing character in their 1/8 match against Namibia. A very determined team that defeated Ghana in the group stage.

The Ghanaian team was accompanied by Mr. George Tettey, Chairman of the Ghana Volleyball Association and Mr. Mohammed Aputeog (Board Member). Other senior players who joined the team for the tournament are Kelvin Carboo, Phillip Amissah and Emmanuel Adamitey.

Speaking in depth about the performance of the Ghana U-19 men’s volleyball team, Executive Board Member Mohammed Aputeog said: “We could have won gold but for their inexperience. It is their first time competing at the international level.”

Speaking about the team’s preparations for the upcoming World Championship in China, Mr Aputeog added: “Of course we are looking for funding and support to prepare for the upcoming championship. We could potentially start training after a week of rest to correct our mistakes and condition the boys for the task ahead.”

The Ghanaian men’s under-19 volleyball team showed great talent and could have won gold, but there were unnecessary mistakes in the final. We hope that we can take it a step further during the upcoming U-19 Volleyball World Cup in 2024.

The team has indicated that it will do everything it can to make Ghana proud, but is hoping for support from companies as they prepare for the Mondial event in China later this year.

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