Ghana: Black Stars in Vintage Second Half Display

David Tagoe

7 June 2011

A riveting vintage second half showing by the senior national team, the Black Stars, courtesy the talismanic introduction of Dominic Adiyiah, Andre Dede Ayew and Derek Owusu Boateng in their game against their Congolese counterparts last Friday, the team still sitting pretty on top of Group I of the qualifiers for next year’s Africa Cup of Nations.

After a listless first half performance, which was a far cry from the expectations of Ghanaians, Isaac Vorsah, Prince Tagoe and Emmanuel Agyemang Badu, by sheer bravado, being at the right spot at the right time and brilliance, ensured that the Black Stars were additionally richer by three points.

From the way proceedings went in the first half, it was difficult for even the soothsayers to predict Ghana was going to score three goals, as the Congolese matched the Black Stars boot-for-boot, and were never overawed by the big names in the Ghana squad.

Eventually, they have become the first side to score against the Black Stars in the qualifiers. And that’s a propensity. They have, on most occasions when they beat the Black Stars, and especially in Ghana, always managed to hit the back of the Stars’ net. But that of Friday was due to one unpardonable joke of goalkeeping exhibited by Richard Kingson, and Franco Litsingi managed to redeem a goal for them.

The Congolese, no doubt, gave the Stars a good run for their money, playing to a well-rehearsed strategy of holding the Stars, and also making some forays when the opportunities presented themselves.

However, after succeeding to make Ghanaians sit on tenterhooks, their skipper, Bruce Abdoulaye, who had managed to marshall the defence so well and effectively was sent off for hacking down Kwadwo Asamoah, who had embarked on an audacious move in which he had already beaten three defenders, and was menacingly threatening the area of the Congolese.

Being the last man for Asamoah to beat, Abdoulaye found the urge to foul the Black Stars player irresistible.

Until the red card, the Black Stars had invaded the area of the Congolese, but always found it difficult to do the scoring, with Prince Tagoe’s miss in the 10th minute being the most rueful.

Coach Goran Stevanovic then turned the screw by substituting Kevin Prince Boateng, who laboured in his first home game for the Stars, with Dominic Adiyiah, while Andre Dede Ayew came on for struggling Sule Ali Muntari, and Derek Boateng coming on for Michael Essien a little later.

No sooner had the two got on the pitch than their presence was felt in the game of the Stars, with Dominic Adiyiah proving a nightmare for the Congolese defence.

In the 62nd minute, the Black Stars earned two successive corner kicks, effected by Emmanuel Agyemang Badu, easily the man of the match. Isaac Vorsah, who had moved deep into the vital area, soared above everybody, using his height to advantage, to nod home Ghana’s first goal.

The goal gave them the verve to probe for more, and six minutes later, Agyemang Badu squeezed the ball to Daniel Opare, whose cross, the Congolese goalie, Monkola, failed to grab firmly. Prince Tagoe, who was lurking around capitalised on the situation to increase the Stars’ tally to two.

But, just when everyone was expecting the Stars to probe for more goals, as what seemed like a massacre was in the offing, Richard Kingson broke Ghanaian hearts by giving the Congolese a consolation goal on a silver platter in the 72nd minute, when all Litsingi had to do was to stretch his leg to hit the ball, which strolled into the net with John Mensah trying vainly to stop it.

But, six minutes later, Emmanuel Agyemang Badu crowned an afternoon of individual brilliance with a cracker of a goal.

He picked the ball from the middle, and laid a pass to Opare, who put it back in his path, and without wasting time, Agyemang Badu let go a power-laden drive that zoomed straight into the net to increase the Stars’ lead – 3-1.

The Black Stars are still on top of the group.

AllAfrica – All the Time