Holders Black Stars B are through to the semi finals of the 2019 West African Football Union (WAFU) Cup of Nations tournament in Senegal after defeating Burkina Faso 5-4 on penalties after a 1-1 draw on Friday night in Thies.
Coach Maxwell Konadu’s side edged out the Stallions 5-4 on penalties to qualify to the semi final of the tournament after skipper Shafiu Mumuni headed home a Joseph Esso cross to cancel out Ilias Tiendrebeogos’s opener to bring the score to a 1-1 draw which will eventually push the game into penalty kicks.
Burkina Faso, a team which has been a thorn in the flesh of the Black Stars B proved scary once again by taking an early lead just 4 minutes into the game when Ilias Tiendrebeogos put his side in front, finishing from a beautiful cross to leave Ghana trailing.
Both sides remained cautious in attack as Shafiu Mumuni’s equalizer at the tail of the first half kept the scoreboard reading 1-1 at half time.
Man of the Match Augustine Okrah rose to the occasion with several attempts at goal between 50th and 65th minutes but all efforts failed to find the net for Ghana. Burkina Faso kept pressing for a winner but Ghana’s defence was too resolute to penetrate as no goals were scored in the second half and the match ended 1-1 after 90 minutes to force the game into penalty shootouts per tournament regulations.
In the penalty kicks, the Black Stars B converted 5 out of 6 kicks while the Stallions managed to convert 4 out of 6, missing two kicks. Asante Kotoko midfielder Justice Blay converted the last kick for Ghana after which Ghana’s shot stopper, Eric Ofori Antwi who plays for premiership side Medeama SC in the domestic league, saved the final kick of the Burkinabes to send Ghana into the semis with 5-4 victory on penalties.
Ghana will now face the winner of the quarter final match between Togo and Ivory Coast which will be played on Saturday, October 5.
Ghana’s semi final game will be played on Tuesday, 8th October, 2019 at the Stade Lat-Dior, Thies.
