Sudan blight Black Stars AFCON probabilities

Hopes of reviving Ghana’s qualification to the 2025 AFCON crumbled miserably yesterday after struggling a 2-0 defeat within the fingers of Kwesi Appiah’s Sudan within the competitors’s match day qualifier on the Martyrs of February Stadium in Libya.

Two second half strikes from Ahmed Tash and Mo­hamed Abdelrahman within the 62nd and sixty fifth minutes doused the Stars AFCON flame, leaving Coach Otto Addo and his expenses with an unrealistic slim probability to qualify.

Angola joined the compe­tition’s early birds after important­taining their unbeaten run within the qualifiers with a 1-0 win over Niger yesterday with two matches to spare.

The Black Stars would, there­fore, require dramatic outcomes of their final two matches in opposition to Niger and Angola and rely on favours from the identical sides to play the Sudanese who’re greatest positioned to grab the ultimate slot.

Following an intense first leg encounter on the Accra Sports Stadium on Thursday when the Stars did not register a single purpose from the quite a few probabilities they created, they approached yesterday’s sport with warning; not understanding what the defen­sive-minded Sudanese would throw at them.

It was a really troublesome sport for the Stars which they’ll need to erase from their reminiscences.

Coach Addo attributed it to sheer luck and said that the Sudanese will not be second time fortunate.

“It won’t be so next week; we’ll beat them in the next game,” he mentioned on the post-match convention.

Such was the arrogance and buoyancy of the staff to return out victorious and have their future in their very own fingers, however Kwesi Appiah introduced his experi­ence to bear on the sport.

His endurance was apparent to all as they contained the Stars of their space, leaving the Black Stars to own the ball however regarded threatening on the counter.

Interestingly, each targets got here in related vogue; relying closely on the pacey and athletic forwards to attain.

Actually, the Sudanese might have scored extra targets if that they had been calm in entrance of purpose. The Black Stars, nonetheless, regis­tered just one shot on the right track.

Ironically, it was the Black Stars that despatched optimistic indicators from the beginning of the sport, con­trolling the sport however had been once more pissed off by the Sudan defence that saved issues tight on the again.

Despite the management, Lawrence Ati-Zigi emerged the busier of the 2 goalkeepers because the Suda­nese threatened within the ninth, 14th and sixteenth minutes.

Winger Abo Issah went near scoring first within the ninth minute and tried once more within the 14th minute however on all two events, Ati-Zigi proved equal to the duty.

But jiffy later, the Sudanese returned with fireplace and saved the shaky Stars defence under-pressure, leaving Ramadan Agab with one other first rate chanc­es to attain however Ati-Zigi went to Ghana’s rescue once more with a positive save.

Instead of getting the targets, Gideon Mensah, Salisu Mo­hammed and Antoine Semenyo earned yellow playing cards inside a interval of 10 minutes.

Back from recess, the Stars had the higher hand once more and managed to seek out the again of the online when Inaki Williams join­ed from shut vary.

But simply when the celebration would start, the whistle went rapidly for an infringement to cancel the purpose.

Sudan responded in like-man­ner as Agab took benefit of the Stars high-line to interrupt however his effort was handled by Ati-Zigi.

Coach Otto Addo introduced on Abdul Fatawu Issahaku and Jordan Ayew on for Semenyo and Ernest Nuamah in his first set of substitutions.

Strangely, the variety of occasions the Sudanese capitalised on the huge house behind the de­fence by no means received the eye of the Stars who lastly paid dearly by conceding the opener from one other counter.

A counter assault was flicked into the trail of Seif Teiri whose try led to a scramble which the Stars defence did not clear earlier than Ahmed Al-Tash planted it in.

Three minutes later, the Su­danese employed the identical ploy to open the Stars defence. As a chasing Salisu held his thigh to surrender the chase, Mohamed Abdelrahman took his time to fit within the second purpose.

That maybe, pressured the subsequent set of substitutions that noticed Jonas Adjetey, Michael Baidoo and Tariq Lamptey changing the injured Salisu, Ibrahim Sulemana and Alidu Seidu however that did little or no to change the sport.

Rather, it was the Sudanese that made the Stars dwell hazard­ously as they saved threatening with the lengthy balls which the Stars defence had no antidote to.

Saif Thiery had the final largest probability of the afternoon however missed narrowly earlier than the match ended with the house followers celebrating the victory.

BY ANDREW NORTEY