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Soccer News of Saturday, 1 February 2014

Source: tv3network.com

CHAN trophy to separate Ghana and Libya

It will be the third meeting of the two nations in a tournament that was introduced by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) in 2009 to boost players plying their trade in their respective countries.

The move came at the back of a number of programmes adopted by the continental body to boost local football. One of such programmes closely tied to the CHAN ideology was the introduction of a CAF Footballer of the Year Award for a player on the continent, aside the usual CAF Player of the year Award for player of the continent.

But Ghana and Libya appear to have been tied to each other since the introduction of the Championship of African Nations, CHAN.

On Ghana’s way to the finals in 2009, the Local Mediterranean Knights gave the Local Black Stars a scare as they held them down to a 1-1 draw.

In the third edition of the tournament, which reaches its final today, Saturday, February 1, 2014, Ghana and Libya played another 1-1 draw in Group C after both recorded wins in their opening games.

The Libyans have since failed to win a match in regulation time while Ghana has gone on to win two matches – one in the final group game against Ethiopia and the other in the quarter-final clash against familiar opponents DR Congo.

But the trophy to be played for at the Cape Town Stadium is what will separate the two sides on Saturday.

"We still intend to do well against Libya, a good side which we know something about," Ghana coach, Maxwell Konadu said after the semi-final win over Nigeria.

On his part, Libya Coach Javier Clemente talked up the resilience of his side and was happy he was taking his team to the final of his first major assignment since taking up the reins.

“I must compliment my young side for showing resilience all the way and now we play in the final.”

But a story may have been told players of the two nations already.

The story is about the 1982 Africa Cup of Nations tournament.

Libya and Ghana played a 2-2 draw in their group match -which was the opening match of the tournament - and drew 1-1 in the final in front of partisan Libyan spectators in Tripoli.

But the Black Stars emerged victorious after penalty shoot-outs, taking home their last major trophy at senior level.

Saturday's final in South Africa, a different region since the meetings, will definitely exude the best out of the players.

Algerian Mohamed Benouza will referee the game. But before that match, Nigeria will play Zimbabwe for the third-place playoff.