Sheikh Tophic Abdul-Kadir Sienu has opened up on the emotional rollercoaster inside Ghana’s camp after the Black Starlets’ qualification hopes at the U-17 AFCON were decided by a ballot.
According to the Black Starlets media officer, the atmosphere in camp was initially full of excitement after Ghana defeated South Africa 3-1 in their final group game.
Players and officials believed the victory had placed them in a strong position to advance to the quarter-finals and secure automatic qualification to the FIFA U-17 World Cup.
However, celebrations quickly turned into tension after it emerged that Ghana and Algeria were level on every major qualification criterion, forcing CAF officials to separate the two teams through a ballot.
“The camp was very lively after the South Africa game because everybody was happy with the performance and result,” Sheikh Tophic explained.
“But immediately we realised qualification would be decided by a ballot, everything changed because nobody knew what the outcome was going to be,” he added.
Ghana eventually lost the draw, ending their hopes of reaching the quarter-finals despite collecting four points in a difficult group.
The Black Starlets, however, still remain in contention for a World Cup place through the playoff route.