Meteors qualify for Algiers 2007

...Dream team IV can only dream
Ghana's Black Meteors picked the ticket to the All-Africa Games, this afternoon in Abuja, by holding their Nigerian counterparts to a 1-1 draw.

With the first leg ended 0-0 in Sunyani, Nigeria bowed out over the away goals rule.

The Nigerian team started the better side dictating the pace of the game at will and searching for an early goal. Although the Nigerians dominated for most of the game, they failed to use that dominance to good effect.

Michael Helegbe scored Ghana's goal in the 53 minute on a swift counter attack. The skipper slipped through a sloppy Nierian offside trap and lobbed the ball over the advancing Nigerian keeper.

The "Dream team IV" of Nigerians equalized through a dubious penalty awarded by the Senegalese referee.

According to a Ghanaian eye-witness "The Nigerian goal was clearly dubious and even Nigerian radio commentators agreed it had a tinge of doubt about it. It was a fair challenge on a Nigerian attacker in the 18, that did not merit a foul call. But then that was what happened throughout the game. The Ghanaians were penalized for the slightest tackle on Nigerian players-several times it happened-while the aggressive Nigerians were hardly questioned by the lanky Senegalese referee. "

Line-up: Eric Nii Baah, Kennedy Korli, Alfred Arthur, Bawa Mohammed/Jerry Akaminko, Isaac Vorsah, Michael Akuffo, Samsom Cudjoe, Yao Kumordzi/Emmanuel Allan, Michael Helegbe, Sadat Bukari, Emmanuel Clottey/Ofosu Appiah.