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A late free kick by Precious Boah gave Ghana a 1-0 victory over Nigeria in the WAFU Zone B U-20 Championship in Benin.
The Satellites scored the only goal of the match in 77th minute. The small victory gave Ghana sweet revenge against one of the country’s old enemies, Nigeria.
Ghana had put on a very good display by stopping Nigeria’s attacks and creating spaces behind their defense, but the Satellites were unable to seize their opportunities.
The victory qualified Ghana to the semi-final stage of the competition, while Nigeria withdrew after drawing their first match against Ivory Coast.
This is a reversal of the trend in 2018 when Nigeria beat Ghana to qualify for the U-20 Africa Cup of Nations. The Black Satellites had an average performance in the first half with Nigeria dominating the game. But Ghana’s defense did exceptionally well to prevent the Eagles from scoring.
Mathew Anim Cudjoe, Sulleymana Mohammed, captain Daniel Afriyie Barnieh and Precious did not shine in the game, especially in the first half, when the Nigerians took control of possession, threatening Ghana’s goal area. But that didn’t pay off before the break.
Back from recess, the Satellites improved their game and started creating some chances.
Coach Abdul Karim Zito brought more breadth to the team by introducing Abdul Mugeese Zakaria in the second half.
Once Wonders’ man, he made a beautiful run from the left flank to the middle and was brought down by a free kick in the 76th minute.
Precious Boah unleashed absolute beauty on the net by beating the Nigerian goalkeeper to the delight of the Ghana bench.
However, the striker was sent off minutes after scoring the goal when he received a second warning for non-sporting conduct to activate his marching orders.
Ghana played the remaining minutes with ten men, but held firm to ensure they finished the game with their lone advantage.
The victory qualifies Ghana for the next stage, while a draw in the next match against Ivory Coast will be enough to consolidate first place in Group B.
For Nigeria, defeat sees them eliminated from the competition.
Ghana XI: Ibrahim Danlad (GK) Philemon Baffour Benjamin Aloma Kobina Amoah Nathaniel Adjei Emmanuel Essiam Eugene Adjei Frimpong Daniel Afriyie Barnie (C) Matthew Anim-Cudjoe Mohammed Sulemana Precious Boah
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