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Fatawu Safiu (#49), battles in the inaugural USL campaign at home against Real Monarchs SLC, March 28, at Merlo Field.

(Thomas Boyd/Staff)

Portland Timbers 2 midfielder/forward Fatawu Safiu has been named to the Ghana U-23 National Team roster ahead of a two-leg, second-round series against Congo in the Confederation of African Football (CAF) U-23 Championship qualifiers, it was announced today.

The Ghana U-23 National Team, known as the Black Meteors, will square off against Congo in a pair of 2015 CAF U-23 Championship qualifying matches. The first match will take place at Accra Sports Stadium in Accra, Ghana, on Saturday, May 23, with the second leg heading 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.

Fatawu has made nine appearances (7 starts) across all competitions 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. The Ghanaian midfielder/forward tallied his second goal in all competitions on May 19 in the second round of the 2015 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in a 2-0 victory over the PDL side Michigan Bucks to help T2 advance to the third round.