Ghana striker Jerry Afriyie has officially departed the Black Satellites’ camp at the 2025 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) to return to his Spanish club, CD Lugo, following a pre-arranged agreement between the Ghana Football Association and the Spanish side.
Afriyie, 18, was released by Lugo to feature only in Ghana’s first two group stage matches—against DR Congo and Senegal—in the ongoing U-20 AFCON in Egypt. His club confirmed he would return to Spain on Tuesday, May 7, and therefore miss Ghana’s final Group C match against the Central African Republic as well as any potential knockout stage games.
“After expressing his desire to be part of his country’s squad, the club has authorized the Albivermello forward to travel to Egypt to join his national team’s training camp,” CD Lugo stated. “Jerry will participate in the first two group stage matches of the U-20 continental tournament…The Ghanaian player will return to Lugo on May 7.”
Afriyie played a key role in Ghana’s campaign, coming off the bench in the opening match against DR Congo and assisting the winning goal in the 1-0 victory over Senegal. His departure is a significant blow to Ghana’s hopes of securing a fifth U-20 AFCON title and qualification for the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile.
The young forward has been one of the standout stars in Ghana’s youth setup. He helped the Black Satellites qualify for the AFCON by finishing as runners-up at the WAFU Zone B Championship, where he won both the Golden Boot and Best Player awards. He also netted the decisive goal in Ghana’s gold medal triumph at the 2024 African Games.
Afriyie’s meteoric rise has already seen him make a senior Black Stars debut, scoring in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Niger. He joined CD Lugo on loan from Saudi Arabian side Al Qadsiah earlier this year and has scored twice in seven appearances as the club battles to avoid relegation in Spain’s third division.
The Black Satellites will now face the Central African Republic on May 8 without their talismanic forward, needing at least a draw to secure a spot in the quarterfinals.
