Ghana qualified for the football event of the All Africa Games ahead of Nigeria with a 2-0 victory and qualfied on the away goal rule after it lost the first leg 3-1 to tie 3-3.
Here's a play and play action of the match
Ghana line-up: Daniel Agyei, Samuel Inkoom, Masawudu Alhassan, Edward Kpodo, Adams Ahmed, Emmanuel Agyeman-Badu, Isaac Cofie, Latif Salifu, Richard Mpong, Saddick Adams, Dominic Adiyiah.
– Nigeria line-up: Theophilus Afelokhai-Anyanwu Emmanuel, Lawal Raheem, Amoda Usman, Igiebor Emmanuel-Ekigho Ehiosou, Eneji Otekpa, Suswam Peter Terna, Otubanjo Ussif- Udoh Kingsley, Nnamdi Oduamadu.
– The Dream Team V are in their traditional green colours and Ghana have opted to play in red jerseys as the referees and match officials walk onto the pitch.
– The two sides have taken their places on the pitch and the Dream Team will start the match after winning the toss.
– Ghana will play from right to left that is from the Amakon end of the pitch while Nigeria will play from the Accra Road end of the pitch.
1’ – Nigeria get the match underway.with a long ball to the right and Masawudu fails to clear and it is a free-kick for Nigeria.
2’ – Free-kick gliding in but Mpong heads away for a corner-kick... Nigeria are piling the pressure now in the early stages.
3’ – Ghana midfielder Agyeman-Badu is fouled in midfield. Free-kick is quickly taken and Adiyiah is released on the left flank. He sends in a cross but goalkeeper Afelokhai grabs that one on the turf.
5’ – Cofie puts Latif through and he beats his marker on the edge of the Nigerian box but his cross for the Ghanaian strikers is poor.
6’ – Foul in the midfield by Musa Emmanuel... Ghana attacking Nigeria now.
7’ – Quick counter-attack for Nigeria and Yusif Otubanjo shoots from 20-yards but the ball went just inches wide. What a miss for Nigeria! The Ghana defence was caught ball-watching.
9’ – Inkoom sends the ball back to goalkeeper Agyei and his long ball is cleared out.
10’ – Mpong gets the ball and has been brought down mid-way in Nigeria’s half... The ball is taken quickly but the referee calls for retake...
10’ – GOALLLLLLLLLLLLL! Agyeman-Badu fires and goalkeeper Afelokhai is beaten. What a cracker!
– Ghana have taken the lead here in Kumasi and this is what the Black Meteors need to overturn the defeat. A good start and they need another one and prevent Nigeria from scoring.
12’ – Ghana attacking again but Latif Salifu loses the ball. The Ghana fans are in raptures and are cheering. Agyemang Badu is definitely the toast of the fans and has proven why the Ghana FA fought his Italian club Udinese to release him.
13’ – Otubanjo Yusif enters the Ghana box but the ball is cleared. Ghana will launch their attack now but powerful Nigeria defender Emmanuel Anyanwu clears the ball away.
15’ – The Black Meteors start another attack with Mpong racing down the right, he beats his marker and sends in a cross but Adiyiah could not connect with only the goalkeeper to beat... This is a glorious chance and Adiyiah should have connected.
16’ – It’s the turn of Nigeria now and Oduamadi breaks away but Masahudu checks him and Nigeria gets a throw in.
20’ – Agyemang Badu starts another attack for Ghana but the Nigeria defender do well to clear the ball for a corner kick for Ghana. The kick has been wasted.
23’ – Nigeria start their own attack but the Ghanaians are quick to clear for a corner kick to Nigeira.
24’ – The kick is cleared for another corner for Nigeria. Kick is quickly taken by Oduamadi and it is cleared out again for a throw-in to the Dream Team.
27’ – The game is now slowing down in pace as both sides seem to have run out of the energy the game started with.
29’ – Free-kick to Ghana but it has been wasted by the Black Meteors.
30’ – Ghana striker Dominic Adiyiah cracks in a shot from 20 yards, but the Nigerian goalkeeper parries it away.
34’ – Ghana regain possession again but Sadick Adams is crowded out by the Nigerian defenders.
36’ – Another good chance for Ghana but once again Adiyiah is wasteful. I hope he doesn't live to regret that.
38’ – Ghana striker Sadick Adams is down on the pitch after a savage tackle from a Nigerian defender.
39’ – Adams is up and the match starts again.. Agyemag Badu fires another one but it goes just wide.
39’ – Nigeria seem to be too content with their first leg win and have completely lost the midfield to the Black Meteors.
41’ – The Dream Team must probably withdraw one of their two strikers to help out in the midfield to stop Badu and Mpong from distributing the balls to the Ghanaian attackers which is causing problems for the Dream Team.
42’ – Igiegbor as if has heard what I said has moved to the midfield and he sends in an enticing pass to Oduamadi but Masawudu checks him.
43’ – Swift response from Ghana with a counter attack but Nigeria defender Amoda Usman stops Sadick Adams.
45’ – Needless yellow card to Richard Mpong after a foul on Igiebor.
45’ – Two minutes of time added-on to play.
45 + 2’ – The whistle goes for the end of the first half. The score now is 3-2 on aggregate in favour of Nigeria but if the Dream Team want to qualify or maintain this result they must pack their midfield and defence. They have not tested the Ghanaian goalkeeper ev
– Ghana on the other hand have been purposeful and have created all the chances. Now they need to convert the chances they have to be able to get more goals. We will be back for the second half.
– Welcome back to the Baba Yara Sports Stadium here in Kumasi, Ghana for the second half of this all-important All Africa Games qualifier between Ghana and Nigeria in Kumasi.
46’ – The Black Meteors kick start the second half and right away launch the ball into attack.
47’ – Throw-in for the Nigerians to be taken by Arnoda Lisman...
47’ – Ghanaians regain possession now with Agyemang-Badu but his intended pass to Adiyiah is intercepted by Anyanwu.
48’ – Early change by the Ghanaians as Ben Acheampong comes in for Latif Salifu.
49’ – Acheampong immediately gets into the act but he is checked by the impressive Anyanwu.
50’ – Super save by Daniel Adjei to deny Otekpa of what could probably be the winning goal of the tie.
51’ – The Nigerians have improved their game in this early period of the second-half silencing the stadium in the process.
53’ – The home side are currently struggling to regain their rhythm allowing the visitors to dictate the pace.
54’ – Referee is having none of the theatrics from substitute Ben Acheampomg as Agyemang-Badu fires wide from a rebound.
55’ – Nigeria affect their first substitution with Sanusi Kabiru coming on for Odumandi Nnamdi. The AC Milan player looks to be limping.
56’ – Nigerians bossing play at this point but are unable to provide the killer passes to their men upfront.
57’ – Adjei takes a goal-kick from yet another broken attack of the Nigerians. The ball finds Mpong at the edge of the penalty area but is robbed of the ball.
58’ – The Black Meteors gradually coming into the game but just like the Nigerians, they cannot find the defence splitting passes.
59’ – Referee awards a free kick to the homesters in a very dangerous area.
60’ – It is in a similar position from where the Ghanaians opened the scoring but deflected wide. A corner for Ghana.
61’ – Wasted effort by the Ghanaians which gives the Nigerians chance to break but have also turned the ball over.
63’ – Play halted due to injury to Nigeria's Otekpa, the fans getting anxious at this point complaining that the Nigerians are wasting time.
65’ – Fans shout in dismay for a foul called on Saddick Adams. I think its a soft one to give away to be honest.
67’ – The Dream Team are gradually crawling into their defensive shells as the Ghanains push up.
68’ – Agyenag-Badu with the ball, passes to Adiyiah but he is downed by Otekpa and referee duly obliges.
69’ – The set piece is wasted on this count and Nigeira's goalie Afelokhai will take all the time to take this goal kick.
70’ – Ghana regains possession and Adiyiah dashes down the left hand side, cuts in , loses the ball but its recovered by Mpong, he shimmies, he shoots...
70’ – GOAL!!!!!!! Ghana are back in it now and the Black Meteors have the goal they need to make the Nigerians come off and attack.
– Fantastic Goal! Ghana 2-0 Nigiera. As it stands now Ghana are through but they must fight to hold on to the result.
71’ – That wonderfully-placed shot beats goalkeeper Afelokhai and Ghana are currently on their way to Maputo.
72’ – Confidence has definitely soared for the Ghanaians as they surge forward again but this time Awako is flagged offside.
73’ – Quick substitution effected while the goal celebration was going on, Gladson Awako comes on for Saddick Adams.
74’ – Play halted but this time for a Ghanaian. Agyemang-Badu recieves treatment as the referee urges the medical men with the injured player to the sidelines.
75’ – Nigerians looking to pull a goal back but Lisman is caught offside.
76’ – The Ghanaians now bossing the game, they only need to keep the ball with barely 15 minutes to go.
77’ – Coach Eguavon orders his men out of defence, he and his team desperately needs to score now to have any chance of qualifying.
78’ – Quick substitution for Nigeria as Saka Ayo Ajani comes in for Suswan Peter.
79’ – Nigeria gradually piling pressure in the Ghanain half who have all but two players on their side of the pitch.
80’ – Ben Acheampong breaks for Ghana, wonderful tackle by Anyanwu, both players remain on the turf calling for treatment.
81’ – Mistake in the Ghana defence but Kpodo recovers with a timely intervention.
82’ – Substitution for Ghana: Aziz Tetteh comes in for goalscorer Richard Mpong, the last throw of the dice for coach Kwasi Appiah.
83’ – The Black Meteors now defending with their lives as one is hooked away by Kpodo.
84’ – Nigeria now using a lot of the long balls, perhaps to capitalise on their size but the Ghana defence remains resolute.
85’ – Augustine Eguavon getting more animated on the touchline as his opposite number urges his boys to keep their concentration.
86’ – Another long ball launched into the Ghanaian penalty area but goalkeeper Adjei races out to gather.
87’ – A rare attack in the last 10 minutes by the Ghanaians but Adiyiah is flagged offside.
88’ – Ghana surge forward with Coffie, this could be a chance but Anyanwu is once more there to clear.
89’ – A Ghanaian player is down calling for treatment, probably just to run the clock down.
90’ – Three minutes added on to the huge cheer of the Kumasi crowd here.
90 + 1’ – Play halted once more again to allow Ghana captain Samuel Inkoom to receive treatment. I guess they are trying to waste some time.
90 + 2’ – Play resumes with the Nigerians laying siege around their opponent's penalty area.
90 + 3’ – Corner kick to Nigeria and surely the last chance for the Dream Team to restore qualification status.
90 + 4’ – The corner kick is wasted as the crowd begs for the final whistle.
90 + 5’ – Referee ends it all here, Ghana has qualified for the All Africa games ahead of arch rivals Nigeria on the away goals rule.
– The Ghanaian players are marching towards their supporters to greet them for the massive support given during the match.
– Ghana will surely revel in this victory especially aganist the star-studded squad of their arch foes.
– This must be worrying times for Nigeria coach Eguavoen as this game has exposed his tactics.
– Akwesi Appiah needed to win this game to restore confidence in him and Ghana will play in a tournament this year after their youth teams failed to shine this year.
– Congratulations to Ghana and better luck to the Dream Team next time. The tie ended 3-3 on aggregate but Ghana are through on away goals rule.
ACCRA A three-day state funeral for Ghana's president John Atta Mills began in Accra on Wednesday, with thousands of mourners taking to the streets and lamposts, trees and state buildings draped in black and red. Mills died at age 68 last month, after a quiet battle against throat cancer. He had been expected to run for a second term in office in December.
