The University for Development Studies (UDS) has made history by becoming the first African university to reach the quarterfinals of the Universities World Football Tournament after a 4–1 victory over Ramon Llull University of Spain in Dalian, China.
UDS opened the scoring in the 14th minute through Alhassan Zakaria before the Spaniards levelled just before halftime.
Two minutes after the restart, Ezideen restored UDS’ lead with a composed finish, and the Ghanaian side took control of the game. Zakaria added his second in the 74th minute after combining well with Ezideen, before substitute Ibrahim Saani sealed the win four minutes later with a calm strike.
The win sparked wild celebrations among the UDS contingent and African students in the stands, who hailed the result as a landmark moment for African university football.
Head coach Ibrahim Tanko attributed the win to his players’ resilience and hunger.
“This is not just a win for UDS. It’s a win for Ghana, for Africa, and for every young player dreaming of showing their talent on the world stage. The boys have been fantastic, and we’ll approach the next stage with the same determination.”
With two victories in their opening two matches, UDS have booked a place in the last eight and remain one of the surprise packages of the tournament.
UDS now await the final group fixture to determine their quarterfinal opponents. But whatever happens next, this memorable day in Dalian will forever be etched in African football folklore.
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