Two-goal Gyan inspires Stars to victory

Asamoah Gyan scored twice and opened a page in Ghana’s football history as he led the Black Stars to beat the Nile Crocodiles of Sudan 3-1 in their Group D World Cup qualifier played in Omdurman yesterday. It was leadership by example by the captain who lived up to his pre-match promise of leading the Stars to victory  when he opened the floodgates in the 16th minute of the game to equal Abedi Pele's scoring record of 33 goals.

Later in the second half Gyan gave Ghana the lead again with a record-shattering 34th goal, before Italy-based Sulley Muntari made victory certain with Ghana's third goal.

Barely 14 minutes after Gyan's opener, the Sudanese equalised under controversial circumstances.  It was double blow for Ghana after Richard Kissi Boateng received the marching off order from Senegalese referee Osman Fall after what appeared to be an innocuous challenge on Sudan's Mudathir Al Tahir in the penalty box to earn the home side a spot kick in the 35th minute.

Al Tahir chose his spot and drilled the ball past goalkeeper Fatau Dauda for the equaliser which sent the capacity crowd wild.

The Nile Crocodiles capitalised on their numerical advantage and occasionally took charge of the game and came close to scoring after Fatau miskicked a goal kick, but Al Tahir failed to punish the Ghanaian goalie after the Sudan striker fired wide.

Ghana's Wakaso Mubarak, who picked a yellow card for remonstration, was made to over work by playing as a cover at the left-back position. He later gave way surprisingly to France-based Samuel Inkoom as Ghana coach Kwasi Appiah brought on a natural defender to strengthen the defence when the Sudan pair of Saif Eldin Ali and Al Tahir were having a field day putting pressure on the central defensive pair of John Boye and Jonathan Mensah.

The Stars looked out of sorts and unable to take charge of the game, as midfielders Muntari and Albert Adomah had an unusually quiet evening as the Sudanese came out of their blocks after recess with better ball possession  and looked determined to take the lead.

Ghana was put on the back foot by the Sudanese, fired on by a capacity crowd, as they put the Ghanaian defence under intense pressure which nearly resulted in an own goal by Boye who miskicked in an attempt to clear the ball from danger.

Clear cut chances were few and far between for the Ghanaians but anytime the Stars got the ball into the third quarter the Sudanese defence appeared wobbly. In one of such swift moves skipper Gyan weaved his way through the Sudanese defence and planted the ball beyond the reach goalkeeper Mohammed Abdelfatah Ehab who until Ghana's second goal was hardly tested.

It was a classic strike by Gyan which took his tally to 34 international goals, making him Ghana's all-time leading scorer and also scoring against Sudan for the third consecutive match.

Coach Appiah pulled off unimpressive Richmond Boakye-Yiadom  for Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu and also brought on Rashid Sumaila for Albert Adomah to consolidate the lead, as Rabiu, Inkoom and Gyan worked extra hard to turn the heat on the home side.

In the dying minutes of the game, Muntari secured victory for the Stars when he scored Ghana's third goal — his 19th international goal in 77 appearances — straight from a corner kick to take the game beyond the reach of the home side.

GHANA: Fatau Dauda, Harrison Afful, Richard Kissi Boateng, John Boye, Jonathan Mensah, Rabiu Mohammed, Mubarak Wakasu/Samuel Inkoom, Albert Adomah/ Rashid Sumaila, Asamoah Gyan, Richmond Boayke-Yiadom/Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu, Sulley Muntari.


Graphic.com.gh