Ghana Thrash Angola
The national under-20 football team, the Black Satellites yesterday trounced their Angolan counterparts by 5 goals to one in the first leg of the Africa Youth Championship qualifiers at the Ohene Djan Sports Stadium in Accra.
Two goals from skipper Ransford Osei in the 35th and 90th minutes as well as goals from Italy based Rabiu Mohammed, Saddick Adams and Abdulai Ganiyu in the 18th, 21st and 46th minutes respectively enabled the vintage Ghanaian youthful side to rout the junior Palancas Negras.
Nevertheless the Angolans were the first to score, stunning the Satellites with a 12th minute opener through danger man Mario Quita.
Spotting almost all the players that placed fourth in the last FIFA World Under-17 Championship in South Korea, Ghana lived up to expectations with incisive passes from the middle where Udinese's Rabiu and Agyemang Badu of Berekum Arsenals were a delight to watch. In addition, Ransford Osei and Atletico Madrid's Saddick Adams were also in their elements, tormenting their opponents.
The Angolans were in the picture for only the first 15 minutes of the game during which they shot into the lead, and parts of the second half.
But they lacked power to penetrate the Satellites defence marshaled by Heart of Lions' Godfred Rockson and Phillip Boampong of Wa All Stars, who apparently is the junior brother of Dan Coleman of Hearts of Oak fame.
Notwithstanding the Angolan's poor attacking machinery, the Ghanaians could not punish the junior Palancas Negras.
Even the addition of Hans Cofie and Isaac Donkor in the second half to strengthen the attack did not change the 4-1 scoreline until Osei scored in injury time of the game.
The 5-1 drubbing of the star-studded Ghanaians who missed the services of skipper Dede Ayew of Olympique Marseille through injury means they will comfortably cruise into the next stage of the competition to clear the last hurdle of the qualifying series.
Coach Sellas Tetteh who started the World Cup/Africa Nations Cup qualifying series for the senior side, the Black Stars was delighted that his boys had brushed off the Angolan scare and now looks comfortable to qualify for the next round in spite of the second leg in Luanda.
By Charles Nixon Yeboah