The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has paid tribute to Ghana’s memorable closing ceremony for the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). Sixteen years ago, Ghana hosted the tournament, which then featured 16 teams, compared to the current 24.

Despite the Black Stars’ “host and win” aspirations, they fell short in the semi-finals, losing 1-0 to Cameroon. However, under coach Claude Le Roy, Ghana ended the tournament on a high note by defeating Ivory Coast in the third-place playoff, while Egypt claimed the championship by beating Cameroon in the final.

A standout moment of the 2008 AFCON was the closing ceremony at the Accra Sports Stadium, where a young girl, Mimi Boateng, hoisted the trophy while being carried in a palanquin by strongmen. CAF recently reminisced about this memorable event on X (formerly Twitter), with the caption: “The perfect entrance doesn’t exi…”

Mimi Boateng, who moved to England in 2019 and is currently an Electrical Engineering student, recounted her experience to Pulse.com.gh. She explained how her father, involved in organizing the closing ceremony, introduced her to the idea. Initially disappointed by Ghana’s semi-final loss, she was inspired by her father’s plans to lift the nation’s spirits and agreed to participate.

“When Ghana lost in the semi-finals, I was very disappointed. My father was involved in the closing ceremony, so he came one day and said we’re going to do something to make Ghanaians happy and to lift spirits,” she told Pulse.com.gh. “I didn’t even know what exactly he meant, but when I went to the stadium, they explained everything to me and I agreed to be part of the closing ceremony.”