Atsu himself was involved in the game’s decisive moment, winning a 78th-minute penalty for the Black Stars, which was coolly converted by Andre Ayew.

Previously, the Leopards – including Magpies defender Chancel Mbemba – had cancelled out a Jordan Ayew strike thanks to Paul-Jose M’Poku’s thunderous effort from range.

But, it was Ghana who came through in the end, reaching the semi-finals of the tournament for the sixth time in succession.

Elsewhere, there was disappointment for United’s Senegalese contingent on Saturday evening, as the Lions of Teranga suffered a heart-breaking penalty shootout defeat to Cameroon.

Henri Saivet – currently on loan at Saint-Etienne – played all 120 minutes for Aliou Cisse’s side, with Mohamed Diame an unused substitute.

After a scoreless two hours, Saivet was one of four Senegalese players to convert from the spot, but a miss from Liverpool’s Sadio Mane opened the door for Cameroon.

Besiktas forward Vincent Aboubakar made no mistake, rounding off a perfect shootout for the four-time winners, who take on Atsu and his teammates in Franceville on Thursday.