African Nations Championship
Teams: Ghana 1-0 Congo
Date: 13 January 2013
Venue: Free State Stadium
Group C of the CAF African Championship kicked off with the Ghana beating Congo Brazzaville 1-0 at the Free State Stadium on Monday.
Congo had the first chance in this Group C clash when they caught their opponents on the break in the third minute and striker Beby let fly just wide of the target from outside the box.
Yahaya Mohmmed then almost won the Black Stars a penalty in the 13th minute but the referee made the correct decision and awarded a free-kick just outside the box.
The Black Stars then broke the deadlock and scored the first goal of Group C when they were fortunate when Theophilus Anobaah tried to beat his marker and hit the ball against a Congolese defender, before the ball deflected back of the Ghana player’s shin and sailed over the keeper to make it 1-0 with 35 minutes on the clock.
Ghana had dominated possession up to this point but Congo pushed forward in search of an equaliser in the final 10 minutes of the first-half and were unlucky not to draw level coming close and hitting the woodwork on two occasions.
The second-half started off with both teams seeming to take their foot off the gas after an open, end to end first 45 minutes.
The Black Stars continued to outmuscle the Red Devils in possession but it was the team who were a goal down that did most of the attacking as they tried to force an equaliser.
Unfortunately the CHAN debutants could not find a way past the Ghana defence and relied on high and wasteful long-range efforts which failed to hit the target.
In the end Anobaah’s lucky goal was enough to earn Ghana a win in their opening Group C game.
Here’s how they started:
Ghana: Adams, Saka, Tijani, Sulley, Adusei, Owusu Jackson, Mpong, Opoku, Sulley, Yahaya, Annorbah
Congo: Mouyabi, N'Kodia, Andzouana, Moubhio, Ankira, Binguila, Kounkou, Nkolo, Bhebey, Magnokele, Obassi
