Black Starlets are determined to qualify for U-17 World Cup - Sheikh Tophic

Black Starlets media officer Sheikh Tophic Abdul-Kadir Sienu says the team remains fully focused on securing qualification to the FIFA U-17 World Cup despite their exit from the ongoing U-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

Ghana endured a difficult start to the tournament but ended their Group D campaign on a positive note with a convincing 3-1 victory over South Africa on Wednesday.

Despite the win, the Black Starlets were eliminated after finishing level with Algeria on points, goals scored and goals conceded, forcing qualification to be decided by a ballot. Ghana lost the draw but still secured a playoff opportunity to reach the World Cup.

Speaking to 3Sports, Sheikh Tophic said the technical team wasted little time in redirecting the players’ attention to Saturday’s decisive playoff clash against Uganda, insisting qualification to the World Cup remains the team's primary objective.

According to him, the coaches immediately rallied the squad following the disappointment of missing out on the quarterfinals, urging the players to remain mentally strong and continue fighting.

“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,” he said.

The manner of Ghana’s elimination, however, left the camp devastated.

With CAF regulations unable to separate Ghana and Algeria through footballing criteria, the final decision came down to a ballot — a scenario Sheikh Tophic described as emotionally draining for the players and officials.

He admitted the atmosphere in camp shifted dramatically once it became clear that fate, rather than performances on the pitch, would determine their progress.

“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,” he added.

Ghana will now face Uganda, coached by former Black Starlets trainer Laryea Kingston, in a high-stakes playoff clash today, with kick-off scheduled for 19:00 GMT as the Black Starlets seek to keep their World Cup dream alive.