How I was chosen to hoist AFCON trophy- Mimi tell her story

According to her, she didn’t know she was going to be part of the closing ceremony until a week before the event.

A photo of Mimi hoisting the AFCON trophy as she was being carried in a palanquin has been going viral for years.

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

Fourteen years after the tournament, Mimi spoke to Pulse.com.gh on how she was picked for the role at the closing ceremony.

She explained that she went to the stadium with her father, who was part of the organisers of the closing ceremony, and was told she would be taking part in the event.

“When Ghana lost in the semi-finals, I was very disappointed. My father was involved in the closing ceremony, so he came one day and said we’re going to do something to make Ghanaians happy and to lift spirits,” she told Pulse.com.gh in an exclusive interview.

“I didn’t even know what exactly he meant, but when I went to the stadium, they explained everything to me and I agreed to be part of the closing ceremony.”

Asked if she knew from the beginning of the tournament that she was going to be part of the closing ceremony, she said it was not pre-arranged.

“It was only about a week to the closing ceremony that they needed somebody [for the role] and they thought I could be a good fit for the job,” she noted.

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

Pulse.com.gh