Ghana coach Maxwell Konadu declared his delight at defeating Gambia in their 2017 WAFU Cup of Nations opener in Elmina on Saturday.

The Black Stars won in controversial circumstances, with Vincent Atinga scoring a last gasp penalty to see the tournament hosts prevail 1-0 and advance to the group stage.

It may not have been the most convincing performance from Ghana, but Konadu insists it was a good start and provides a foundation for his team to build on.

"We are always slow starters in tournaments but today I'm happy with our start, especially in the first half. It wasn't easy but the players continued to push for the winner, and we got it in the last minute,” said Konadu after the match.

"It's not easy to start a tournament in front of your support, so I must congratulate the players for a wonderful job done. It was very difficult but we manage to sail through."

Ghana takes up position 1 in Group 1 and will play their first second round match on September 14.