A.F.C. Bournemouth striker Antoine Semenyo expressed his delight after providing an assist in Ghana's victory against the Central African Republic (CAR) during the final round of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers held at the Baba Yara Stadium.
In the early minutes of the game, CAR's Louis Mafouta scored the opening goal, but Mohammed Kudus equalized for the Black Stars with a free kick before the end of the first half. Despite Ghana needing only a draw to qualify, CAR proved to be a formidable opponent for Chris Hughton's team.
Semenyo, who came on as a substitute in the second half, played a crucial role by assisting Ernest Nuamah in scoring the winning goal. His well-placed square pass found Nuamah in the 18-yard box, securing Ghana's qualification as Group E winners with 12 points.
Reflecting on the team's qualification for the tournament, which will be hosted in Ivory Coast next year, Semenyo described the match as challenging but praised his assist for contributing to the Black Stars' victory.
'It was a good and tough game. The pitch was not that good and the opposition also surprised us because they were really good and they caught us by surprise and so I am happy to say I came on and I provided an assist for the winner so I can't complain," he said on Tuesday ahead of their EFL Cup against Stoke City scheduled for later tonight.
Ghana will soon discover its group stage opponents for the tournament on October 12, with hopes of ending the country's 41-year trophy drought.
