Hard win for Ashgold
Premier League Champons, Ashantigold, yesterday managed to overcome a well-rehearsed game pattern to frustrate them by Algerian side Mouloudia Olympique de Bejaia to win 1-0 in their first leg preliminary round of the CAF Champions League match at the Obuasi Len Clay Stadium.
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A combination of ill luck, poor shooting and intermittent dramatising and feigning of injury by the visitors robbed Ashgold of a convincing win to make their second leg encounter in Bejaia a mere formality.
The Ghanaians crowned a second half resurgence with a clinical finish from an unlikely scorer, Joshua Tijani, who latched on to an aerial ball to lift it over goalkeeper Daif Ruara in the 60th minute.
Goalkeeper Daif, who had stood between Ashantigold and a massive win, had to be stretchered off and his place taken by Salian Bodauri.
And yet despite the second half magical display, Ashgold still lacked the bite upfront even after Algerian Adel Lakhdari was shown the red card for a second bookable offence in the 65th minute.
The Miners were given a scare of their lives in the 11th minute when Ndoyi Waliu finished off a rebound from a free kick against the run of play to bring the packed stadium to an instant silence.
However, minutes later, a series of onslaughts including Isaac Amoah' s long drive which was parried to corner by the Bejaia goalie in the 15th minute and Amos Addai’s indecision in the 35th, after rounding up the defenders created anxious moments for the fans.
In between those near misses plus wastage of free kicks, Amos and Fuseini Nuhu had a couple of chances to increase the tally for the home team but failed miserably.
The recklessness in front of goal was even more pronounced in the second half despite having numerical advantage.
The introduction of playmaker Emmanuel Osei Baffour and Joseph Ato Bissah was still not enough to give Ashgold a convincing win as they showed signs of fatigue during the closing stages of the game.
Line-up: (Ashantigold) Joseph Dabuo, Eric Kwaku, Opoku, Joshua Tijani, Hudu Yakubu, Mohammed Kadri, Nafiu Awudu, Nuhu Alhassan, Amos Addai, Isaac Amoah, Nuhu Fuseini, Paul Abaka Nkrumah.
