I was so nervous that I nearly dropped AFCON trophy – Mimi Boateng recounts

Mimi Boateng, the young lady who hoisted the AFCON trophy during the closing ceremony in 2008, has revealed that she nearly dropped the trophy due to nervousness.

Speaking to Pulse.com.gh in an exclusive interview, she said she was nearly overawed by the huge crowd she saw at the Accra Sports Stadium.

Mimi was just eight years old when Ghana hosted the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in 2008 and she still remembers everything from the tournament.

“I don’t think I realised at the time how many people were in the stadium, because we had always practised in an empty stadium. I don’t know why, but I imagined the stadium may be empty,” she recounted.

“We did the rehearsals, so when the day came, I was looking down because the trophy is very heavy and it was on my laps. There was a South African lady in charge and she was instructing me on what to do.”

Mimi further disclosed that she was so nervous that she nearly dropped the trophy, but became relaxed after seeing her mother on the sideline.

“So I look towards my left and I saw her and she was like ‘lift it, lift it!’ The minute I lifted it and looked up, I just saw a stadium full of so many people. I nearly even dropped the trophy because I was so nervous.

“But I turned and I saw my mum on the sideline and she was just smiling and waving at me. I think that made me relaxed and gave me the confidence to continue. It was at that moment that I realised how grand the whole thing was,” she added.

Mimi moved to England in 2019 and is currently an Electrical Engineering student.

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