ACTUALITE |
28.03.2004
Ghana secure Athens berth
Ghana have booked their ticket to the Olympics in Athens this August with a 2-0 win over Zambia in Kumasi.
Zambia, who only needed a draw to advance, started the brightest with some good passing movements that seemed to disorientate their hosts.
The Black Meteors however soon got into the match and scored the opener after 20 minutes when the Zambian defence failed to clear their lines.
Abubakari Yahuza was the beneficiary as he found the back of the net to the delight of the capacity crowd.
Zambia however refused to give up and even had the ball in the back of the net but Jacob Malunsa`s strike was ruled out for offside.
Ghana should have doubled the lead on the stroke of half time but German-based striker Isaac Boakye missed an open goal after the Zambia goalkeeper Kaliliko Kakonji had fumbled a cross.
The visitors came back strongly in the second half and fired shots in from all angles but failed to get the all important goal.
Then with ten minutes remaining, substitute Kwadwo Poku controlled a long ball and fired it past Kakonji to make settle Ghanaian nerves.
Ghana`s Portuguese coach Mariano Barreto admitted his players had been nervous in the face of massive expectation but he nonetheless was thrilled by the result.
"It wasn`t a great performance but this was like a final so I am happy with what we have," he said.
"Now we must go to the Olympics and do well."
The Zambians were graceful in defeat even though they weren`t entirely happy with some of the officiating.
"There was always going to be just one team going to Athens today and Ghana scored the goals to get there," said Zambia`s technical director Kalusha Bwalya.
"We scored a goal in the first half that was disallowed but I think it should have stood, but that should take nothing from the fact that Ghana did what mattered most to win.
"We wish them all the best."
The win means Ghana`s under-23 side reach the Olympic games for the first time since 1992, when they became the first African side to win a football medal when they claimed bronze in Barcelona.
In the other match in the group South Africa beat Algeria 1-0 in Blida on Saturday with a 54th minute goal from Gift Leremi, neither side had a chance of qualifying for Athens.
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Hits: 1 | Source:BBC | |
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