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History repeats itself as DR Congo beats Ghana to lift
CHAN Cup
Accra, March 8, Ghanadot/GNA –
History repeated itself at Houphouet Boigny Stadium,
Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire on Sunday when Democratic Republic of
Congo’s Leopards beat Ghana Black Stars by 2-0 to become the
first team to win the African Nations Championship (CHAN).
Two second half strikes from Kaluyituka Dioko and Mbenza
Bedi sounded the death kneel of the Stars, which soccer
pundits had predicted to lift the CHAN Cup, a competition
restricted to footballers playing in their countries of
birth.
In the1968 African Cup of Nations Championship hosted by
Ethiopia, Ghana beat DR Congo at the group stages in Asmara
by 3: 1 but when the two teams met in the finals in Addis
Ababa, DR Congo beat Ghana 1:0 to lift the cup.
Incidentally the Leopards, had suffered a 0-3 loss at the
hands of their West African counterparts in their earlier
meeting at the group stage played at Bouake.
The two teams were equally matched in the first half as both
made incursion after incursion into each other’s vital area.
As the game wore on the Congolese found their rhythm as
their Tresor Mputu Mabi proved to be a headache for the
Ghanaian defence.
Black Stars goalie Philemon MacCarthy was up to his
responsibilities when in 12th minute he parried away Mputu’s
goal-bound shot from a close range.
When the pendulum swung, Ghana succeeded in putting the ball
into the Congolese net but it was ruled off-side. Skipper
Edmund Owusu-Ansah’s header from Charles Taylor’s cross beat
onrushing Leopards goalie Kidiaba Muteba.
The Congolese began the second half on fast note and took
the lead under a minute into the half through Kaluyituka who
headed home from Lofo Bongeli cross.
The Ghanaians from then on threw everything into the game
but could not find the net. However, it was the Congolese
who had a second bite of the pie in 74th minute when Mbenza
Bedi blasted home after receiving a pass from Lofo from the
left.
This was the first major championship the Congolese have won
since the 1974 African Cup of Nations feat in Cairo, Egypt.
GNA
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