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Uganda lost a third consecutive continental final to Ghana, and the Akan name of Afriyie continued to haunt the Pearl of Africa 45 years later.
Jerry Afriyie netted a stoppage-time winner to hand the Ghana U20 men’s national team a 1-0 victory over their counterparts from Uganda in the 2023 Africa Games final at the Accra Sports Stadium on Friday.
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23:43 - 22.03.2024
AFRICAN GAMES 2023 Uganda makes history despite late heartbreak against Ghana
Even in defeat, the Morley Byekwaso-coached team managed the highest-ever finish for Uganda in the history of the African Games.
It was a similar circumstance in Mauritania in 2021 when the Uganda Hippos lost the 2020 U20 Africa Cup of Nations final to the Black Satellites.
Then, Daniel Afriyie netted a brace for the Satellites to win 2-0 at the Stade Olympique in Nouakchott.
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In 1978, Uganda reached their first and only Africa Cup of Nations final but fell to host Ghana at the Accra Sports Stadium 2-0 thanks to the late Opoku Afriyie’s double.
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Meaning of the name ‘Afriyie’
Afriyie is the name given to the Akan people in Ghana which is the largest ethnic group in West African country.
It is a circumstance name meaning literally ‘has happened well’. Has happened at the right time (a time of prosperity).
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The meaning of the name Afriyie indeed cuts across all moments when Ghana was triumphant over Uganda but on Friday it was more applicable.
Afriyie’s goal came at the right time in the 90th minute and their opponents could not respond meaning it happened well, a time for prosperity.
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It was the second consecutive time that Ghana was defeating Uganda in the U20 tournament with Morley Byekwaso as the latter’s head coach.
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