AFCON U-23: Black Meteors Made to Wait on their Olympic Games Dream – REPORT

The Black Meteors are made to wait a little while on their Olympic Games dream as Ivory Coast edged Ghana on penalty shootouts.

Ghana leveled twice in regulation time to drag the game to extra time and on to the spot kicks.

Ivory Coast took the lead inside 12 minutes through Youssouf Dao. From there they have appeared to be in complete control of the game, dominating possession and nullifying any threat from the Ghanaians.

Kwame Baah was in his usual best as he denied Ivory Coast with some splendid saves to keep Ghana alive in the first half.

Kwabina Owusu added a little bite to the game when he came in for Robin Polley on the 27th, after the latter was yellow carded.

Captain Yaw Yeboah made it 1-1 on the 50th with a beautiful strike inside the penalty area, but Youssouf Dao again gave the Ivorians the lead on the 86th minute.

It looked all over for the Ghanaians but in the dying embers of the game, Kwabina Owusu dazzles his way into the vital area of the Ivorians and was brought down but he manages to flick the ball to Evans Mensah who smashes the ball home for the equalizer on the 90th minute to send the game to extra time.

Extra time was quite eventful but no goal was recorded as it ended 2-2.

As usual Ghana frailty in penalty shootouts manifesto yet again as the Ivorians beat their West African counterparts 3-2 to book a place in the finals and a qualification berth in 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.

Ghana will play either Egypt or South Africa in a third place match where the winner also qualifies for the Olympic Games in Tokyo.