Ghapoha win the hard way

GHAPOHA F/C yesterday beat an ill-tempered Senegalese side, Asac Ndiambour 2-0 in their WAFU first leg, semi final match at the Tema Stadium. A 49th minute penalty converted by attacker Daniel Edusei and an own goal scored by Ndiambour's Elhadji Mayoro from a free kick, mis-directed by Edusei, won the hard game for the Ghanaians. It was a terrible day for the Senegalese defender, Mayoro, who was the same player pressurised by Isaac Boakyi and Justice Appiah to handle the ball in his own box after a goalless first half. The two Ghapoha forward players had worked their way deep into the Senegalese area and overlapping defender Kofi Amponsah was narrowing in to take the final advantage when it hit the hand of the besieged Senegalese. Goalkeeper Salla Dieng was only a shade late in his brave attempt at blocking the resultant kick. The tall, hard-tackling and defensive-minded Senegalese were to come under pressure again in the 55th minute, conceding a free-kick well outside their penalty area. An over-confident Daniel Edusei irritated the home fans with an arrogantly wayward kick. And he was the subject of the crowd boos when the unfortunate Senegalese defender, in a desperate attempt to tidy up, diverted the ball into his own net. From that calamity, Senegalese tempers began flaring up, causing goalkeeper Salla and defender Oumarr Ngalla to pour anger on a Red Cross worker who attempted helping a fallen Senegalese player. In that brief skirmish, Nigerian referee Omorusu Abudu marched off the masseur of the Senegalese team and booked goalkeeper Salla for bad behaviour. This far, the game had travelled a cautious path, marred occasionally by some manly tackles from the Senegalese side who had massed in defense. Surprisingly, Ghapoha's first half play was also marked by fear of attacking: Isaac Boakyi abandoned upfront and stripped of all danger by the pack of Senegalese defenders. Within that jam, smallish Richard Nii Noi stood out as a tower in the Ghapoha defence, soaring high to clear aerial balls and sliding gracefully to repel the ground attacks. Goalkeeper Edward Ansah was also in excellent condition. Ten minutes after the Senegalese own goal, the veteran Ghanaian goalkeeper was at the centre of a drama, stopping what would have been another own goal this time by Ghapoha's Alex Awuah. Ndiambour's defensive play limited the pressure on Ghapoha to just a few of such drama. But the return leg in Senegal two weeks hence, promises a thriller with Ndiambour having nothing to defend but everything to fight, if not die for. Ghapoha: Edward Ansah, Alex Awuah, Jeddy Botwey, Richard Nii Noi, Kofi Amponsah, Richard Amoako, Asamoah Dzifa/Frederick Amoah, Yakubu Abubakarr, Isaac Boakyi, Daniel Edusei, Justice Appiah/Dan Twakson.