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Black Stars In Spectacular Comeback
Accra, Nov. 30, Ghanadot/GNA -
Ghana Black Stars displayed resilience as they came from two
goals down to clinch a 3-2 victory over Super Eagles of
Nigeria in the first leg final round qualifier for the
African Nations Championship (CHAN).
The Nigerians jumped into two goals lead through Musah
Kabiru in their tension-packed encounter at the Ohene Djan
Sports Stadium in Accra on Sunday.
Parading a squad with six defensive minded players in the
starting team, the Stars failed to click at the early
stages, allowing the Nigerians to win the midfield battle.
The midfield made up of Jordan Opoku, Emmanuel Agyemang
Badu, Daniel Yeboah and Francis Coffie was virtually
non-existent and leaked terribly, while the composed
Nigerian trio of Olawale Issaka, Henry Uche and Elvis
Kingsley made inroads into the Ghanaian half.
Their efforts paid off after 21 minutes, when Kabiru broke
the deadlock as he slammed home after Yeboah failed to clear
his lines in a goalmouth action.
The goal alerted Stars' Coach Milovan Rajevac of the weak
spot in his midfield and 10 minutes later, the Serbian
sacrificed Opoku for substantive captain Edmund Owusu-Ansah,
whose omission from the starting line-up stunned all.
The substitution brought some level of stability into the
Stars midfield and 60 seconds later, the Stars came close to
scoring but Eric Bekoe blasted wide.
With a minute to halftime, an individual display of
brilliance by light-skinned Uche saw Kabiru double the lead
with a weak header.
Coffie restored hope when he reduced the tally on the stroke
of half time with a spectacular shot.
The Stars' game saw a major improvement in the second half
and it came as a matter of course when Coffie scored his
personal second and the equalizer on the hour-mark.
Samuel Inkoom clinched victory in the 74th minute. The Left
Back's solo run saw him mesmerising the Nigerian rear before
slipping the ball past the Nigerian goalie, Bassey Akpan to
give Ghana's campaign a glimmer of hope.
The result means that the Stars must keep a clean sheet in
the second leg encounter in Abuja in a fortnight to book
their place at the maiden edition of the competition
reserved exclusively for local based players, slated for La
Cote d'Ivoire next year.
LINE-UP
Ghana - Fatau Dauda, Samuel Inkoom, Habib Mohamed,
Emmanuel Agyemang Badu, Ofosu Appiah, Godfred Yeboah, Daniel
Yeboah, Jordan Opoku/Edmund Owusu-Ansah, Yaw Antwi/Alex
Asamoah, Eric Bekoe/Kojo Poku, Francis Coffie
Nigeria - Bassey Akpan, Henry Uche/Nwachi Ikechukwu, Nnaemka
Anyawu, Nwabi Valentine, Sulemana Sumaila, Ike ThankGod,
Koformata Bello, Itodo Cletus, Musa Kabiru/Efe Ambrose,
Olawale Issaka/Omodiagbe Arewane
GNA
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