I thought Ghana would win this Afcon, says wailing Wakaso

Man-of-the-match Mubarak Wakaso says the thought of Ghana’s latest Africa Cup of Nations heartbreak reduced him to tears after the Black Stars suffered a Round of 16 elimination by Tunisia Monday night.

“I can’t even describe how we are feeling but the only thing I have is I need to thank my colleagues, family and all Ghanaians for their support. We will keep doing our best for the nation,” said a teary Wakaso who had to compose himself to receive the award.

The Deportivo Alaves midfielder continued: “We knew we were going to face a difficult opponent. I think what happened  is part of the game. I think we need to think about our future – that’s the only thing we can do.

“My reason [for being so emotional and weeping] was that I thought this tournament was for us due to the hard work we’ve been putting in in every match.

“That is the reason why I’m like this right now but still have a future so we need to think ahead.”

Restricted to the defensive midfield role, Mubarak Wakaso was one of the few outstanding players in Ghana’s rather short campaign at Egypt 2019, winning two man-of-the-match awards.

The Carthage Eagles secured a rare victory over their Ghanaian counterparts via a 5-4 penalty shootout win after the game ended 1-1 after extra time.

The defeat summed up Ghana’s miserable fate in host city Ismailia where the team played three of their four games at the 2019 Afcon. The Black Stars drew all three games – 2-2 against Benin, 0-0 with Cameroon and 1-1 against the Tunisians in regulations but the tie with the North Africans needed a tie breaker hence the penalty shootouts after extra time.

This is the first time Ghana is missing an Afcon semifinal since the 2008 edition. The Black Stars, who last won the 1982 finals, will have to prepare and qualify for the 2021 Afcon to be staged in Cameroon to make another bid to end what will be a 39-year trophy drought.