U-20 Nations Cup: Ghana 0 Morocco 0

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Ghana and Morocco opened their Group two match at the 13th African Youth Soccer Championship in Burkina Faso with a goalless drawn game on Sunday. Ghana's drawn game is the third in the two-day old tournament after host Burkina Faso and South Africa traded to a 0-0 drawn match while Gabon and Mali also drew 2-2 on Saturday. Ghana and Morocco featured some key players who participated in the last African Cup of Nations in Mali. Derek Boateng of Greece side Panatheniakos and Rasta haired Razak Ibrahim were key players at the Nations Cup for Ghana while Morocco played with three first team players of Wydad Athletics Club of Casablanca. The Ghanaians who were the crowd favourites started well and dominated the early exchanges but erratic shooting and over elaboration by the strikers kept the game barren. Such was Ghana's dominance in the first half that they won seven corner kicks against one by their Moroccans but failed to utilise all. Boateng who joined the team on Saturday was the first to find space through the tight marking Moroccan defence when he went through two defenders but his final delivery went wide of the mark in the 11th minute. Patrick Villars one of the four players who featured at the last World Under-20 Championships in Argentina and arguable the best player on Sunday was the first to attract the yellow card in the 21st minute when he brought down Omar Hamza who had just come on for injured Akadar Jawad. Later in the 24th and 26th minutes Omar and Ahmed El Atlassi were also went shown the yellow card also for reckless tackles. The second half was not much different from the first as the Ghanaians did all the attacking and the Moroccans played on the break. The Moroccans nearly punished the Ghanaians in one of their counter attacks in the 47th minute but for the alertness of goalkeeper Alex Agyepong. The technical handlers of the Satellites brought on sensational Kwadwo Poku of Kotoko fame for Ernest Papa Arko in a bid to break through the tight defence of the Moroccans. The Moroccans nearly scored in the 83-minute when Razak mistakenly gave the ball away to Aqqal Salaheddine but goalkeeper Agyepong again pulled off some excellent save to deny the North Africans of a goal. Jonathan Quartey missed Ghana best chance of the afternoon when he shot feebly into the hands of Echhaimi Youness after Villars had set him up in the 86th minute. The Satellites launched an incessant last minute attack to get the opener but overlapping Villars goal-bound shoot was scooped off the goal line by goalkeeper Echhaimi Youness. Line up: Alex Agypong, Imoro Lukman/Daniel Coleman, Jonathan Quartey/Yusif Chipsah, Thompson William, Michael Ocansey, Ernest Papa Arko/Kwadwo Poku, Patrick Villars and Razak Ibrahim.

Some results of matches played at the 13th Africa Youth Soccer Championship in Burkina Faso. Played on Saturday: (Group A) Host Burkina Faso .... Nil (0) South Africa... Nil (0) Gabon...... Two (2) Mali......Two (2) Played on Sunday: (Group B)
Ghana 0-0 Morocco
Egypt 1-1 Cote D'Ivoire