EXCLUSIVE: Portland Timbers II striker Fatawu Safiu joins Ghana U23 squad to face Congo in Olympic Games qualifier

US-based striker Fatawu Safiu has joined Ghana’s squad for the CAF U-23 Championship qualifiers against Congo this Saturday.

The Portland Timbers 2 player will train with the team on Friday ahead of the first leg at Accra Sports Stadium in Accra the next day.

Safiu has also been released by for the return second leg and will travel with the Black Meteors to Congo on Monday, June 1.

The winner of the home-and-away series will move on to face Nigeria in the third round of CAF U-23 Championship qualifying.

A total of eight teams will qualify to play in the final CAF U-23 Championship tournament, including host-nation Senegal.

The 2015 CAF U-23 Championship tournament acts as a qualifier for the 2016 Summer Olympics, with the top three teams from the tournament qualifying for the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Safiu has made nine appearances (7 starts) in all competitions and scored nine goals for T2 this season.

He scored a goal against Real Monarchs SLC in a 1-1 draw on April 8 and provided an assist in a 2-0 defeat of Arizona United SC on April 25.