Following the Black Meteors’ dismal performance at the ongoing 2023 U-23 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon), Ghana will miss the Olympic Games football event for the fifth consecutive time.
Friday night’s match against Guinea was a must-win for coach Ibrahim Tanko’s side, but they were unable to secure all three points, ending their campaign at the Paris 2024 qualification tournament taking place in Morocco.
The two countries battled to a 1-1 draw in their final Group A fixture at the Grand Stade de Tanger.
Ghana seized the lead in the 33rd minute, thanks to striker Michael Yeboah.
However, the Guineans pulled even on the hour mark with a goal from captain Ibrahim Fofana.
Guinea, who only needed to avoid defeat to advance to the semifinals, successfully managed the remaining minutes for the game to end in a stalemate.
Despite having the same number of points – four – as Ghana, Guinea advance because of a superior goal differential. With Morocco, who finished first in Group A with 9 points, they are both in the semifinals.
🗣️| 2023 #U23Afcon
⌚️ FULL-TIME
• Guinea 🇬🇳 1-1 🇬🇭 Ghana
• Congo 🇨🇬 0-1 🇲🇦 Morocco
Morocco and Guinea have qualified for the semis.
.#FootyGhana | https://t.co/RRmLQrS6bD | #BlackMeteors pic.twitter.com/fu1OLh9W9r
— Footy-Ghana.com 🇬🇭 (@FootyGhana) June 30, 2023
Ghana last competed in the Olympic Games football competition in Athens in 2004. They will now miss it five times in a row, having failed to make it to Beijing in 2008, London in 2012, Rio in 2016, Tokyo 2020 and now to Paris in 2024.
