Sheikh Tophic says the Black Starlets have no option but to defeat South Africa if they want to keep their hopes alive at the ongoing U-17 Africa Cup of Nations.
Ghana’s campaign has taken a difficult turn after opening the tournament with a 2-2 draw against Algeria before falling to a narrow 1-0 defeat against defending champions Senegal.
The loss to Senegal was particularly frustrating for the Black Starlets, who failed to capitalize despite their opponents playing a large portion of the game with 10 men.
Those results have left coach Prosper Narteh Ogum’s side at the bottom of Group D with only one point heading into their final group-stage encounter.
Speaking ahead of the decisive fixture, Sheikh Tophic explained that Ghana’s situation leaves the team with only one realistic objective against South Africa.
“South Africa won their game 2-1 against Senegal and lost to Algeria, so they need a point against Ghana to qualify to the next phase of the competition,” he told 3Sports.
“The only choice Ghana has against South Africa is to win,” he added.
The Black Starlets must now secure all three points to stand any chance of progressing to the knockout stage and keeping their hopes of qualifying for the FIFA U-17 World Cup alive.
Wednesday’s crucial Group D encounter is scheduled to kick off at 19:00 GMT.