Black Queens midfielder Jennifer Cudjoe has admitted that Ghana’s semifinal exit at the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) is a tough pill to swallow.
Ghana suffered a painful 4-2 defeat on penalties to host nation Morocco after a 1-1 draw in regulation and extra time at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat. The Queens had taken an early lead through Stella Nyamekye, but Sakina Ouzraoui Diki levelled for the Atlas Lionesses in the second half to send the tie into extra time and eventually to penalties.
Misses by Evelyn Badu and Comfort Yeboah in the shootout handed Morocco the win, denying Ghana a spot in the WAFCON final for the first time since 1998.
“It’s really hard luck today, I have to say. This one actually hurt,” Cudjoe told journalists after the game. “We gave everything. We wanted to win, we did everything that was asked of us. It just hurts because I feel like we deserved to be in the final.”
Despite the heartbreak, the former NJ/NY Gotham midfielder praised the spirit of the team, saying they showed character throughout the tournament.
“I’m just proud of the team because we didn’t give up. We proved to everyone that we can do something, and hopefully in our next game we can get a medal.”
Ghana will now shift focus to the third-place playoff against defending champions South Africa on Friday, July 25, as they aim to end the campaign with bronze.