Black Starlets media officer Sheikh Tophic Abdul-Kadir Sienu says Ghana remain firmly committed to securing qualification for the FIFA U-17 World Cup, despite their exit from the ongoing U-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
Ghana reignited their campaign with a commanding 3-1 win over South Africa in their final Group D fixture on Wednesday, bouncing back from a difficult start to the tournament.
However, their efforts were not enough to secure a quarter-final berth after they were eliminated via a ballot against Algeria, following identical records between the two sides.
The result means the Black Starlets now turn their attention to a crucial play-off encounter, with a World Cup ticket still within reach.
Speaking to 3Sports, Sheikh Tophic explained that the technical team quickly redirected the squad’s focus to Saturday’s decisive clash against Uganda, stressing that the primary objective remains intact.
“We still have a chance of qualifying for the World Cup. And so the coaches immediately seized the opportunity to speak to the boys. Let them understand that, look, we have not been able to qualify for the quarterfinals of this competition, but it’s not over.
“The ultimate reason why we came here was to qualify for the World Cup. And so if you have not been able to qualify, we still have a chance of qualifying for the World Cup by playing on Saturday against Uganda.
“And so if we play against Uganda on Saturday and we beat them, we have to take it to the World Cup, which is the ultimate. I think the mood in camp now is good.”
CAF regulations were unable to separate Ghana and Algeria after both teams finished level on points, goals scored, and goals conceded, forcing qualification to be decided by a draw.
Sheikh Tophic admitted the outcome was emotionally difficult for the team, particularly after the lift provided by the victory over South Africa.
“I feel that maybe apart from the game against Algeria, our last two games, luck has eluded us in a way, but we still remain grateful to the Almighty for how far he has brought us.
“The truth of the matter is that after the game against South Africa, the camp was good, the mood was great, the players were happy, the technical team, everybody was excited.
“Then we realized that we are on the same points with Algeria, same goals scored, same goals considered, and the only thing that could separate the two of us was through a ballot.
“So immediately the mood changed again because nobody knew what was coming.”
Despite the setback, Ghana remain determined to keep their World Cup hopes alive when they face Uganda in the play-off match scheduled for 19:00 GMT.
