Ghana tears DR Congo into shreds

Accra, May 5, GNA - Ghana Black Maidens' journey to a first FIFA U-17 World Cup in New Zealand in November has been made clear with an 8-0 flogging of the Democratic Republic of Congo in their final round qualifier played at the El-Wak Stadium.

Ghana, requiring a comfortable win ahead of a return leg in Kinshasa in a fortnight, struck thrice in the first half and a further five in the second session to authenticate their superiority on a rainy afternoon.

It was an afternoon where Florence Dadson scored six times with skipper Mercy Myles and Deborah Afriyie getting the other two to get the Maidens cruising.

The Congolese were the first to threaten on the third minute when skipper Mengi Nona's freekick from 35-yards deflected off the post with no player available for a rebound to keep the game barren. But Dadson was to begin her magic on the fourteenth-minute and doubled the lead just after two minutes.

The visitors were to react, and it took Linda Eshun to clear Ghana's lines when Diakiese Kalunzodi's effort from a corner was heading straight into the net.

Just after the half hour when the Congolese looked settled, Afriyie scored against the round of play after Ghana had survived an invasion. The skilful Afriyie scored with a beautiful long range shot that left goalkeeper Sanga Mayala exposed and marked her last moment on the pitch.

Mayala was sacrificed with Bullamba Nzila taking her place for the rest of the duel that saw her picking five balls from her net. Myles had to wait till the hour mark to get her name on the scorers' sheet before Dadson completed her day on high. With humiliation facing the visitors, tempers began to rise resulting in brawl that involved Ghana's Elizabeth Cudjoe and Ellen Coleman. After over 10 minutes of fighting, calm was finally restored with Coleman and Cudjoe exiting with red cards alongside Nona.