Ghana’s Black Satellites’ dream of qualifying for the World Cup has been shattered after their loss to Egypt in the quarter-finals of the ongoing U-20 Africa Cup of Nations.
The team lost 5-4 on penalties after a 2-2 draw in regulation time.
The Satellites, who were hoping for a strong start, were left shell-shocked after some calamitous defending.
A horrible mix-up between defender McCarthy Ofori, who hesitated, expecting goalkeeper Gidios Aseako to come for the ball, allowed Egyptian forward Momen Sherif to pounce and give the hosts a 19th-minute lead.
Things went from bad to worse when a lack of defensive awareness gave Sherif the space to round Gidios and slot home his second of the night in the 26th minute.
Just before the break, former Dreams FC man and current Barcelona B attacker Abdul Aziz Issah unleashed a powerful drive which Egyptian goalkeeper Abdelmonem Tamer failed to handle cleanly, giving Ghana a lifeline.
Ghana kept piling on the pressure in the second half and were finally rewarded in the dying moments after a boot-up challenge on Joseph Opoku inside the box.
Abdul Sulemana stepped up and calmly slotted home the penalty to make it 2-2 and send the game into extra time.
Aaron Essel was sent off for a last-man challenge as the Satellites ended the game with 10-men.
The defeat extends Ghana’s quest to qualify for the global showpiece since 2015.
