Former Ghana international Nii Odartey Lamptey says Ghana’s draw against Algeria was an acceptable outcome but insists the Black Starlets must deliver strong performances in their remaining matches to book a place in the next stage of the tournament.

Ghana began their U-17 AFCON campaign with a 2-2 draw against the North African side on Thursday at the Mohammed VI Football Academy.

The Black Starlets enjoyed a dream start, with Yao Gavi Robinho and Eric Adu Gyamfi finding the net early to hand Ghana the advantage.

However, Algeria fought back after halftime, scoring twice before the 70-minute mark to level the score against Ghana.

The North Africans nearly completed the turnaround later in the game after winning a penalty, but the resulting effort was missed.

In an interview with Asempa FM, Lamptey said the result was not disappointing but stressed the need for improvement.

“A draw against Algeria is not a bad result, but the players need to step up in the next game,” he said.

“At the moment, the team must either win both remaining matches or win one and draw one to secure qualification,” he added.

The outcome leaves South Africa leading Group D after defeating Senegal in the group’s other encounter.

The Black Starlets will now target their first victory of the competition when they face Senegal on Sunday, May 17, at 16:00 GMT.