Ghana’s quest to qualify for 2020 African Nations Championship (CHAN) was yesterday blown apart by their Burkina Faso counterparts as the two teams battled for a piercing barren game in Ouagadougou.
The result meant that Burkina Faso’s Stallions had qualified on a 1-0 aggregate, having beaten the Black Stars B three weeks ago at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi.
Gangling striker Yannick Wendyam Pognongo’s 94th-minute strike in Kumasi condemned Maxwell Konadu’s outfit to their third successive failure since 2014.
Reports indicate that the Ghanaians fought fiercely throughout the afternoon but the home team defended gallantly to keep off the Stars whose best performance at the championship remains second-placed finishes in 2009 and 2014.
They have played at the event on three occasions, the other appearance coming in 2011.
Ghana eliminated Burkina Faso on penalties at the just-ended WAFU Cup of Nations Championship.
In other games of the CHAN qualifiers, Ditram Nchimbi shocked Sudan’s supporters after 79 minutes when he received Iddi Seleman pass to put Tanzania ahead.
The Desert Hawks as Sudan are nicknamed threw everything into attack trying to get the equalizer. Substitute Walid Bekhit shot rattled the crossbar two minutes from time, while Ramadan Agab’s free-kick missed the target deep into injury time, as Tanzania sailed into the finals.
This is the second time Tanzania have reached CHAN finals after the maiden edition in 2009, when they also qualified on the expense of Sudan, winning 5-2 on aggregate.
Title holders Morocco also comfortably booked their place at the finals of the Total African Nations Championship (CHAN) Cameroon 2020 after a 3-0 win over Algeria on Saturday in Berkane.
The Atlas Lions advanced 3-0 on aggregate as they qualified for the Cameroon tournament, designed exclusively for footballers playing in their domestic leagues for the fourth successive time.
Houcine Amouta’s men started their high pressing game from the beginning of the match.
The competition is exclusively reserved for players plying their trade in their local leagues.
BY TIMES SPORTS REPORTER
