The Black Meteors of Ghana failed to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics Games in Japan next year after a penalty shoot out defeat to South Africa at the CAF U-23 Cup of Nations in Egypt.
Defender Emmanuel Cudjoe’s missed his penalty kick to give the South Africans the ticket to Tokyo after Kingsley Fobi and Edward Sarpong had earlier missed their spot kicks.
Ghana’ Black Meteors twice came from behind to level the scores in regulation time, after Evans Mensah and Samuel Obeng had leveled goals from Habib Mohammed (own goal) and Kamohelo Abel.
Habib forced an own goal after misdirecting a Luther Signh cross into his own net before Evans Mensah’s sumptions strike leveled the scores on 50 minutes.
The Black Meteors again fell back second half substitute Kamohelo Abel’s goal before Samuel Obeng made the best from the wizardry skills of Evans Mensah on the right.
The game headed straight in to penalty shootouts, and Ghana missed three spot kicks with the South Africans missing two after seven kicks.
The new GFA president, Kurt Okraku was in Cairo to motivate the players, but they could not deliver.
So the Ghana Olympic team now have to wait for the 2024 Qualifiers for the next Games in Paris.
Members of the new GFA executive, the GOC and NSA are very sad, just like many media people who were very sure of qualification.
For the records, Ghana won only one match against Mali. The Black Meteors drew with Cameroun, lost to Egypt, lost to Cote d I voire and lost to South Africa.
STORY BY Sammy Heywood Okine