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Page last updated at Monday, June 13, 2011 8:08 AM //
Abedi Pele
A well-determined Nania FC side on Sunday fought gallantly as they came twice from behind to defeat their experienced Premier League side, Berekum Chelsea 7-6 on penalties after the two sides settled for a 2-2 drawn game in regulation time in their MTN/FA Cup semi-final encounter at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi.
Abedi Pele, President of Nania was on stage to support his club to chalk the enviable feat and by this achievement they have thus advances to the grand-finale of the competition.
Nania started the match on a slow note, allowing their more aggressive and experienced Chelsea side to carry the game into their own half with many surging runs and well-rehearsed incisive passes.
It was therefore no wonder when Bismark Idan shot the Berekum lads into the lead with a thunderbolt of a shot in the 24th minute after he took advantage of sloppy goalkeeping by Nania’s Michael Sai.
Nania accepted the challenge in good faith as they massed up many players in midfield and attacked in droves which resulted in a penalty kick after Chelsea’s Opoku Eric fouled Nuhu Salifu in the penalty box for Prince Baffoe to easily equalize for Nania in the 30th minute.
In the second half, the two sides played a more cautious game due to torrential rains which made ball control difficult on the soggy pitch till the referee signaled for the end of the match as the teams went into extra time.
It was Chelsea again who began the extra time on an aggressive note and fetched the second goal in the 105th minute through Bismark Idan but Nania equalized on the stroke of full time courtesy Abankwah Abraziz whose well-taken free-kick zoomed straight into the net to send their supporters into wild jubilation.
In the penalty kicks that ensued, Nania converted all their kicks while Chelsea’s Idan missed one of the kicks to send Nania into wild jubilation and into the finals.
Source: GNA