Ashanti Region win 2026 MTN Elite U-19 title after seven-goal thriller

Ashanti Region dethroned defending champions Eastern Region in a dramatic 4-3 final to claim the 2026 MTN Elite U-19 Championship at Prampram.

The final capped 11 days of football with seven goals and repeated comebacks. Ashanti took the lead through Mohammed Dayvon in the seventh minute, but Umar Archraf equalised five minutes later. Issah Seidu restored Ashanti’s advantage before Tetteh Narh made it 2-2 before halftime.

The pattern continued after the break. Elvis Kwarteng put Ashanti ahead for the third time in the 78th minute, then earned the final’s Most Valuable Player award. Eastern equalised again three minutes later, but substitute Emmanuel Boateng struck in the 82nd minute to settle the contest.

Eastern pressed for another response in the closing stages, but Ashanti held on. The victory rewarded a campaign marked by consistency and resilience, with Raphael Amankwah named Best Coach and Kelvin Osei Owusu chosen as Best Goalkeeper. Greater Accra’s Dennis Adjei finished as top scorer with six goals.

Central Region won the Fair Play award, while Desmond Korlettey was named overall tournament MVP after collecting four MVP awards. The competition, reserved for Second Division players, served as a platform for identifying Ghana’s next generation of football talent.