Ghana’s National U-15 Boys team have seen their impressive run at the FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival in Azerbaijan halted after suffering a 7-6 penalty shootout defeat to Paraguay in the quarter-finals.

The match ended 2-2 in regulation time, with Ghana showing great character to force a shootout after a fiercely contested encounter.

Despite the defeat, Ghana will continue their participation in the ranking matches as one of the tournament’s top eight teams, facing the other quarter-final losers.

The young Ghanaians had won seven consecutive matches, including impressive knockout-stage victories over the Republic of Korea (2-1) and Mexico (5-2), before their run was halted by Paraguay.

However, they were unable to maintain their composure in the shootout, as Paraguay converted seven kicks to Ghana’s six to secure victory and advance.

It was a disappointing end to Ghana’s quest for the title, having topped Group W with a perfect record and scored 34 goals in eight matches at the FIFA Talent Development Scheme tournament.

Despite the setback, the National U-15 Boys have made the nation proud with their exciting performances and remarkable run to the quarter-finals. They will now turn their attention to the ranking matches as they seek to finish among the tournament’s top eight teams.