Ghana’s Black Sharks Exit 2024 Beach Soccer AFCON Despite Dominant Win Over Tanzania

Ghana’s Black Sharks have been knocked out of the 2024 Beach Soccer Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt, despite a resounding 10-3 victory over Tanzania in their final Group A match on October 22. Earlier losses to Egypt (6-3) and Morocco (5-2) meant that Ghana could not secure a place in the semi-finals, with both Egypt and Morocco advancing instead.

While Ghana struggled against Morocco, conceding to defensive mistakes, they put on a dominant performance against Tanzania. However, their efforts were not enough to progress in the tournament, marking another group-stage exit for Ghana, who last failed to advance in 2016.

The defeat also means Ghana missed out on a spot in the 2025 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup, which is granted to the two AFCON finalists.

Yaw Ampofo Ankrah, Chairman of the Black Sharks management committee, admitted the team’s lack of preparation, citing only nine days of training before heading to Egypt and limited practice before their first match against the host nation. He acknowledged the gap between Ghana and the top teams in the tournament and accepted responsibility for the lack of pre-AFCON friendlies

Written by Kelly Eric Ehor

Published on October 23, 2024