Two quick first half goals sink Ivorians
Sunyani (B/A), Dec. 17 GNA - The National Under-23 soccer team, Black Meteors, kick-started their qualifying campaign for the next All African Games on a sound note, beating their Ivorian counterpart by 2-0 at the Sunyani Coronation Park.
The match, first of a two-legged encounter, was barely minutes old when Meteors striker Nafui Iddrisu capitalised on a mistake by Angban Vincent, the Ivorian goal-keeper to put the Ghanaians in the lead. Led by playmaker and skipper, Micheal Helegbe the Meteors pressed harder to double their lead which, nearly came in the 17th minute when a shot from Helegbe came off the cross bar.
The skipper was on hand a minute later to make amends when he tapped in coolly an inch perfect cross from Alex Asamoah. The Ivoirians led by striker Kone Koro Issa raised their game after the two early strikes orchestrating some deadly moves, which created some anxious moments in the Meteors defence.
The saviour at the back for Ghana was Isaac Vorsah, who became the toast of the fans standing resolute to clear some dangerous situations. Frustrated by not being able to find the back of the net, the Ivoirians brought on all three substitutes but that did not do earn them what mattered most, which was to hit the back of the net.
The Meteors regained control of the game in the dying embers and created three decent scoring opportunities, which their lead striker Alex Asamoah, failed to connect, blasting wide on all occasions till the final whistle.
Although the Meteors carried the day, most fans that watched the match were not all that happy with the performance of the team citing the many scoring chances the team wasted.
Cecil Jones Attuquayefio, coach of the team in an post match interview with the GNA Sports, promised a much more improved performance in the return leg schedule for Abidjan in a fortnight.
Meteors Line-up; Nii Baah Eric (GK), Daniel Addo, Micheal Akuffo, Bawa Mumuni, Isaac Vorsah, Anthony Annan, Alex Asamoah, Obed Ansah/Clement Coffie, Nafui Iddrisu, Tuaha Khanojie/Hamza Abdulai, Micheal Helegbe.
