U-20 AFCON: Ghana happy to defy penalty hoodoo once again

Ghana attacker Frank Boateng believes Thursday's penalty shoot-out victory over Cameroon at the ongoing Africa U20 Cup of Nations in Mauritania defies popular belief that the nation has poor penalty takers.

The Black Satellites booked a place in the semi-final of the championship with a 4-2 penalty shoot-out win, the game having ended 1-1 after extra-time. Goalkeeper Danlad Ibrahim was ultimately the hero of the shoot-out.

Ghana's ability to send the game into penalties was down to Boateng, who registered a prompt equalizer after Kevin-Prince Milla put Cameroon in front in the first half of the extra period.

"Our dream of winning the competition remains intact and we are determined to win just as we did in Benin," Boateng, who was adjudged as the official Man of the Match, said at the post-match press conference, according to footballghana.

"Again, we have shown once again that we are good when it comes to penalties. Now we are motivated going into the next game."

It was the Satellites' second straight shoot-out win, having overcome Niger 5-3 in the semi-final of the Wafu Zone B Cup which served as qualifiers for the Afcon.

Until then, Ghana has suffered a series of penalty heartaches.

The senior Black Stars team, whose best appearance at the Fifa World Cup ended in a shoot-out defeat to Uruguay in 2010, exited the 2019 Afcon by a shoot-out defeat to Tunisia.

The West Africans' last berth in the grand finale of Afcon also ended in disappointment after another round of penalties in 2015.

In 2014, the home-based Black Stars also lost the final of the African Nations Championship to Libya on penalties

Ghana boss Abdul Karim Zito, meanwhile, is over the moon by the latest feat.

“I want to thank my colleague coaches back home in Ghana who never stopped trusting in me and gave words of encouragement that this team can make it," said the coach, as reported by the Ghana FA's official website.

“This is a big achievement for me and for all coaches in Ghana."

“I reminded them [the players] that this tournament is about them and their future as footballers. I also told them most importantly they have to think about Ghana and die for the country.

“For now, we are waiting to know our opponents for the semi-finals then we roll out our plan for that match."

Ghana awaits the winner of Friday's quarter-final clash between the Gambia and the Central African Republic for a semi-final showdown on Monday.