Ghana’s U-20 national team suffered a painful exit from the Africa Cup of Nations after falling short in a penalty shootout against Egypt in Monday night’s quarterfinal clash.
The thrilling encounter at Suez Stadium saw the Black Satellites show remarkable resilience, fighting back from a two-goal deficit to level the game 2-2, only to lose 5-4 on penalties.
Egypt took full advantage of Ghana’s early defensive confusion. Moamen Goweily Sherif struck twice in quick succession, first capitalizing on a miscue between McCarthy Ofori and Gidios Aseako, and then punishing another lapse at the back.
Undeterred, the Ghanaians found a lifeline through Abdul Aziz Issah, whose stunning effort in first-half stoppage time cut the deficit. Their relentless pressure paid off in the final seconds when Abdul Hakim Sulemana converted a penalty to force extra time.
However, Ghana’s task was made tougher when Aaron Essel was shown a questionable red card in the 107th minute. Down to ten men, the team managed to hold on and push the game to a shootout.
In the end, it was Egypt who prevailed, sealing a semi-final spot and leaving Ghana to reflect on what might have been. The defeat means the Black Satellites will not feature at the upcoming FIFA U-20 World Cup.
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