Stars lose it - Play Burkina Faso for 3rd place
There will be no love lost on Sunday when Egypt and Cameroun clash in the final of the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations tournament with both football giants seeking to cement their status in continental football.
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Yesterday, the Indomitable Lions booked their place in the final at the Stade d’Amitie in Libreville after defeating old rivals Ghana 2-0 in a tough semi-final clash in Franceville for a showdown with the Pharaohs, who had survived a bruising two-hour battle with Burkina Faso before advancing 4-3 on penalties (1-1 after extra time).
Two second half goals by Ngeadu Ngadjui and Christian Bassogog broke Ghana’s hearts as the Lions played back their 2008 semi-final victory to reach their seventh AFCON final they seek an elusive fifth continental title.
The showpiece event could not have a more befitting final than a clash between two of Africa’s most successful sides who boast a total of 11 titles between them – Egypt winning the trophy a record seven times while Cameroun have four in their trophy cabinet.
Ghana, 2015 runners-up, will now play for pride and the less glamorous third place against Burkina Faso who also lost the final in 2012.
Cameroun and Egypt have struggled to recapture their glory in recent years as they undergo transition and another continental success in Gabon will restore their pride. But for the Indomitable Lions it will be both a search for a fifth title and a quest for revenge after the Egyptians denied them a fifth title with a 1-0 defeat in the final of the 2008 tournament held in Ghana.
It will also be a good way to prepare for the next AFCON in 2019, which they will be hosting.
The Indomitable Lions came to Gabon without some of their top players who opted out of the tournament, but Belgian coach Hugo Broos’ charges progressed without being very impressive, including stripping the dreaded Senegal in the quarter-final before knocking Ghana off their perch last night.
As usual, the Lions imposed their physique on yesterday’s game as they dominated the exchanges with sustained pressure in the first half and forced Ghana into defensive mode, leaving the Stars to look for opportunities through fast breaks on the wings with slippery Christian Atsu as the target man on the right.
Clear cut chances were few and far between for the Stars as they probed for goals from many angles. Jordan missed good chances in the 24th and the 39th minutes, while Atsu’s killer instincts deserted him when it mattered most after brilliant runs on the right into the opponents’ penalty box, but the Newcastle United winger made a mess of his last touch to let the Lions off the hook.
The Stars returned from recess with renewed strength and began to look for opening in the Cameroun defence but failed to find the target despite coming close to scoring, with Frank Acheampong (51st), Wakaso (60th) testing goalkeeper Joseph Ondoa with a curling free kick which the young Seville shot stopper dealt with.
But just when it seemed the Stars were just one decent chance away from the opening goal, the Lions roared back loudly in the 71st minute. Unmarked Ngeadu Ngadjui capitalised on John Boye’s poor header in an attempt to clear a free kick and the ball fell into the path of the Slavia Prague defender who had all the time in the world to shoot past goalkeeper Razak Braimah.
It was not until the 75th minute that Coach Grant brought on Asamoah Gyan in search for a goal but the striker’s landmark 100th international appearance was uneventful and he was tightly marked and given little room to have a crack at goal.
Any hope of a late comeback was extinguished in added-on time when Christian Mougang Basssogog nailed Ghana’s coffin with Cameroun’s second goal after a quick counter-attack which caught the Ghanaian defence pants down with the Aalborg forward displacing Braimah with a low shot to spark off an all-night Cameroun jubilation.
And for the Ghanaians, another dispirited trip back to Port Gentil to face neighbours Burkina Faso tomorrow in a battle for the bronze medal.
Ghana: Razak Braimah, Harrison Afful, Frank Acheampong, Daniel Amartey, John Boye, Mubarak Wakasu, Afriyie Acquah,/Asamoah Gyan, Christian Atsu, Thomas Partey, Jordan Ayew, Andre Ayew.