Ghana tames almighty Nigeria

Ghana's Back Meteors managed a 2-1 victory over the Eagles of Nigeria in the third match of the SCSA Zone Three elimination tournament played at the Accra Sports Stadium.

The Meteors scored both goals in the first half through Joe Fameyeh and Johnson Eklu in the 39th and 45th minutes while James Obiora netted for the Nigerians in the 85th minute. The Ghanaians started the match on a very determined note and nearly scored an early goal in the second minute through Osei Kwame when he received a pass good from Eklu but the Nigerians were quick to clear the ball from the danger zone.

In the sixth minute, Fameyeh intercepted a pass in the Eagles vital area but his shot at goal missed the target narrowly. Meteors dependable defender, Kofi Amoako was stretchered off the filed bleeding from the lips in the 10th minute after he was inadvertently kicked in the face by a Nigerian attacker, who attempted a scissor kick. Alex Djanie replaced him. The Ghanaians came close again in the 13th minute when goalkeeper Sam Okoye of Nigeria failed to make a first-time save of Hamza Mohammed's cross but Fameyeh was unable to slot the ball home.

The Eagles repulsed the attack and nearly found the opener in the 27th minute through Obiora, who beat an offside trap set up by the Meteors but goalkeeper Osei Boateng saved the situation. After this, the Meteors put their game together and piled the pressure on the Eagles, resulting in the 39th-minute goal from Fameyeh, who back-heeled Hamza's cross into the net. The Ghanaians were on target again on the stroke of halftime through Eklu's goal. He took a return pass from Fameyeh inside the Eagles' '18' and dribbled past two defenders before shooting the ball into the net.

After the break, the Eagles brought on Yakubu Akegbeni for Mohammed Aliyu and Charles Chimeze for Henry Onwuzurike in the 51st and 58th minutes respectively. The changes brought some live into their attacking machinery as they started putting pressure on the Meteors forcing them into their own half.

In the 68th minute, Ghana's Aziz Ansah also got injured in a bid to clear the ball from the Meteors' vital area and was substituted with Lantei Lamptey. The Ghanaians came strongly into the game with 20 minutes to go and should have increased the tally to three but the Nigerian goalie made an expert save of Osei Kwame's shot in the 74th minute.

The Eagles were reduced to 10 men in the 80th minute when Johnson Oluwole was sent off for elbowing Edmund Copson after the referee had whistled for an infringement against the Ghanaian. Complacency then set into Meteors game as they allowed the Nigerians to dictate the pace. It came as no rpt no surprise when the Nigerians pulled a goal back through Obiora in the 85th minute after the Ghanaians had failed to clear the ball floated into the penalty area from a corner kick.

The goal boosted the confidence of the Eagles as they kept probing for the equalizer but the Meteors managed to hold onto their narrow win till the end.

Ghanaian Line-up: Osei Boateng, Felix Yeboah, Kofi Amoako/Alex Djanie, Issah Rahman, Sani Wahab, Edmund Copson, Hamza Mohammed, Johnson Eklu, Aziz Ansah/Lantei Lamptey, Joe Fameyeh and Osei Kwame.

Nigeria - Sam Okoye, Friday Edejegba, Johnson Oluwole, Patrick Ovie, Harrison Omokoh, Henry Onwuzukire/Charles Chimezie, Emmanuel Ehiade, Mohammed Aliyu/Yakubu Akegbeni, Okumowo Gbenga and James Obiora.

Cote d'Ivoire sinks Burkina Faso by 2 goals to nothing

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The Elephants of Cote d'Ivoire beat their Burkinabe counterparts, the Stallions 2-0 in their second match of the Supreme Council for Sports in Africa Zone Three qualifier played at the Accra Sports Stadium.

They meet Meteors of Ghana, who earlier in the first match of the day, had beaten the Eagles of Nigeria 2-1 on Thursday. Both Cote d'Ivoire and Ghana have four points each from two matches but the Ivorians have a superior goal advantage.

The winner of the tournament will represent the zone at the seventh All-Africa Games in South Africa in September this year. The Ivorians had a numerical advantage in the 40th minute when Ouattara Moussa of Burkina Faso was shown the red card by Guinean referee Lassama Gassama for intentionally hitting the Elephants' dangerman Koutouan Nantcho in the face.

Five minutes later, the Ivorians earned a spot kick after Nantcho was brought down in the penalty area for defender Couylibaly Mamadou to expertly convert it for the Ivorians opener. Both teams lifted their game in the second half with Burkinabes` striker Clovis Kambou of Asante Kotoko fame coming close in the initial stages. But as the Burkinabes seemed to have taken control of the game, the Ivorians, against the run of play, made it 2-0 from a fast counter-attack.

Martko Youssouf chipped the ball over onrushing goalkeeper Rachid Campaore into the net in the 75th minute. The Burkinabes fought hard in the dying minutes in the hope of pulling even but they could not find the net.