Black Stars players celebrate their winning goal against Tunisia game yesterday
Ghana’s Black Stars revived their 5th continental silverware dream with a superlative performance when they defeated the Carthage Eagles of Tunisia 2-1 at Stade de Franceville in Gabon yesterday.
The victory handed them the semi final ticket and set a date with free scoring Zambia in Bata, Equatorial Guinea, this Wednesday.
Ghana demonstrated probing instincts and one of their raids resulted in a corner when the game had barely taken shape. Returnee skipper John Mensah replicated his first game feat when he connected home hardworking Agyeman Badu’s corner kick in the 9th minute.
The opener unsettled the North Africans, who relied on walking the ball into the net tactics but the interventions of Mensah, John Boye, Samuel Inkoom and Massawudu Alhassan were timely.
The West Africans had a chance to make it double eleven minutes after the opener but Dede Ayew, who had a quiet first half slipped in a free kick attempt.
A minute later, the Tunisians had a similar opportunity close to the Ghana 18-yard box to cancel the lead but they failed until the latter stages of the first half when Khalifa Sabeur soared above Inkoom to head the ball past goalkeeper Larsen Adam Kwarasey.
The results remained 1-1 at the end of 90 minutes.
In extra time, Ghana’s stand-in captain Dede Ayew capitalized on a goalkeeping error to tap in the match winner.
Meanwhile, there spontaneous shouts of jubilation and wild scenes on the streets of Accra when the referee blew the final whistle to end the match.
From Kofi Owusu Aduonum, Franceville, Gabon
Courtesy: African Origin Travels/ Royal Oasis Gh Ltd
