By Rainos Mukanya
The Mediterranean Knights of Libya claimed the CHAN title dismissing Ghana 4-3 on penalties in a match played at the Cape Town stadium in Cape Town South Africa on Saturday.
For the third match in a row the Libyans held out for 120 minutes to win on penalties. They claim the cup having won only one game in open play throughout the tournament.
After both teams had scored three and missed two of their first five penalties, Ghana’s Tijani failed to convert in sudden death handing Libya the cup on an El Trbi conversion. It was a match that was devoid of meaningful goalmouth action as the battle was mainly fought in midfield.
A 3rd minute header by Ghana’s Sulley Mohammed was acrobatically collected by Libyan keeper and captain Nashnush. From the keeper’s clearance the ball fell for Ghanudi whose shot went over.
In the 6th minute Ghana keeper Steven Adams spilled a shot onto the path of Abushnuf, but he shot skywards with the keeper stranded. That was the best period of the first half as both teams failed to conjure up meaningful chances. Wild long range efforts became a feature of the game as both defences held firm.
Abushnaf found himself with the ball at his feet in the box, but he blazed his shot over the bar in the 40th minute. The second half was even worse as the two teams lacked imagination especially in the final third.
The shots were becoming more desperate and wild and both teams failed to trouble the goalkeepers. Libya’s first shot of the half came in the 79th, but was bravely blocked by Samuel Ainosoon. Earlier Ghana substitute Yahaya Mohammed had shot wide in the 73rd minute.
The extra time offered some hope of a goal. Yahaya’s header found the keeper in the 91st minute while Abushnaf headed narrowly wide from close range in the 94th minute. Ghana’s best chance came in the 106th minute when Abdul Mohammed’s scrambled shot beat Nashnush, but went agonisingly wide.
Perhaps the best chance of the match was in the 108th minute when an Ahmed Almagassi cross found Abdelsalem Omar unmarked, but his point blank header was saved by Adams.
The penalty shootout was a nervy affair as both teams could have claimed it. Libya scored through Faisal Saleh, Houssein and Almagassi while Elgardi and Omar had theirs saved. Ghana’s Attobrah, Saka and Owusu scored to restore parity after Michael Akkufo and Ainosoon had theirs saved by Nashnush. Then sudden death and El Trbi converted successfully while Tijani missed to hand Javier Clemente his first title just two months into the job.
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