Accra: Ghana Football Association's Head of PR and Strategy, Neil Armstrong-Mortagbe, has defended the controversial drawing of lots that led to the elimination of the Black Starlets from the ongoing 2025 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations, insisting the process followed established competition regulations. Speaking on the matter, Armstrong-Mortagbe explained that the rules for resolving tied standings were made known to all participating nations before the start of the tournament.
According to Ghana Web, Ghana and Algeria remained inseparable after all standard tiebreakers were applied, forcing organisers to resort to the drawing of lots to determine which team would progress. Armstrong-Mortagbe emphasized that this method was part of the competition rules agreed upon by all nations beforehand. He clarified that once usual tiebreaking measures failed, the regulations mandated a draw of lots as the final solution.
Armstrong-Mortagbe added that alternatives such as a playoff or penalty shootout were impractical within the structure of the competition, especially since both teams were not playing each other at that stage. He noted that the competition rules dictated the drawing of lots as the appropriate method in such scenarios. While acknowledging the situation might appear controversial, he maintained that tournaments require a mechanism to separate teams when all other criteria fail.
The situation echoes former Black Stars captain Asamoah Gyan's remarks about the importance of established rules in international tournaments. In an interview following his appointment as brand ambassador for Ghana's national teams and colts, Gyan highlighted the necessity of having mechanisms in place for separating teams, even at the highest levels such as the FIFA World Cup.