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Black Stars captain Andre Ayew shone on Thursday 12 November at the Cape Coast Stadium to give Ghana a 2-0 win over Sudan in a 2021 Africa Cup of Nations Qualifier.
Ghana entered the match as favorites despite losing the services of some key figures for the match.
Coach Akonnor named a combination of experience and fresh players into his starting lineup, giving young Christopher Nettey a chance to start as a right back.. Strasbourg defender Alexander Djiku and Brentford winger Tariqe Fosu started their first competitive game on African soil for Ghana.
Former Dreams FC midfielder Emmanuel Addoquaye Lomotey had the enormous task of playing in place of the injured Thomas Teye Partey and the Reims player seized his opportunity and played a good game.
In the end, it was Captain Andre Ayew who set the example by scoring two incredible goals for Ghana to win 2-0 at Cape Coast Stadium.
The Swansea City man jumped into a sparkling curling iron from the edge of the box on the 19th Minute to give Ghana the first goal, after Samuel Owusu was fouled by Sudanese defender Mohammed Elmashed Mahmoud.
Before the opener, Ayew came close with an effort that should have been connected by his younger brother Jordan after a brilliant play started by Tariqe Fosu on the left side of Ghana’s attack.
Sudan also upset the Ghana defense a couple of times through dangerous man Mohammed Abdel Rahman, but the central defensive pair of John Boye and Alexander Djiku did well to keep them at bay.
Ghana nearly increased the score at the half hour mark after Tariqe Fosu knitted a pass to Samuel Owusu that was denied by Sudan goalkeeper Ali Abdallah.
Ghana’s hard work paid off in the 45th Minutes later, Andre Ayew headed a Tariqe Fosu cross from the left side, but that goal was disallowed by Senegalese referee Maguette Ndiaye to keep the score 1-0 at half-time.
Both teams returned from halftime determined to make the best of time, but it was Ghana who threatened first after Tariqe Fosu fired from the side in the 54th minute.
Abdel Rahman was close once more, but his low header slowly spread across the face of the goal.
Ghana coach CK Akonnor tweaked his squad a bit by bringing in Caleb Ekuban for Samuel Owusu and Nicholas Opoku for Christopher Nettey in 63rd and 69th minutes respectively.
Ekuban immediately dispatched Jordan Ayew, but the latter’s double with the Trabzonspor striker was cleared by the Sudan defense.
With nine minutes remaining to play, captain Andre Ayew produced magic after taking on two defenders on the edge of the box before unleashing an all-out bolt on the roof of the net to make it 2-0 for Ghana.
The fans should have been in the stands to roar at that rate. It’s a shame the game was played behind closed doors.
At the time, the game looked beyond the visitors, as the Black Stars scored another three points to strengthen their grip at the top of the Group C table.
The team will travel to Khartoum on Sunday for the reverse match, scheduled for the national stadium on Tuesday, November 15, 2020.
Ghana thus maintains the top spot in Group C with 9 points from three games, scoring five goals and none conceding.
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