Sheikh Tophic Abdul-Kadir Sienu says the Black Starlets remain determined to qualify for the FIFA U-17 World Cup despite suffering heartbreak at the ongoing U-17 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
Ghana revived their campaign with an impressive 3-1 victory over South Africa in their final Group D match after earlier results had left the team under huge pressure.
However, the Black Starlets narrowly missed out on automatic qualification after finishing level with Algeria on points, goals scored and goals conceded. With the two sides impossible to separate through normal football criteria, CAF officials resorted to a ballot, which eventually favoured Algeria.
Speaking to 3Sports, Sheikh Tophic revealed that the technical team quickly shifted the players’ attention towards the upcoming playoff against Uganda.
“We still have a chance of qualifying for the World Cup. The coaches immediately spoke to the boys and reminded them that the mission is not over,” he said.
“The ultimate reason why we came here was to qualify for the World Cup. If we beat Uganda, we will achieve that objective, so everybody remains focused and motivated,” he added.
The Black Starlets will now face Uganda in a decisive playoff encounter for a place at the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar later this year.