Ghana’s Black Stars ‘B’ succumbed to a 0-1 defeat by visiting Burkina Faso’s Etalons Locaux (Local Stallions) in the first leg of their 2020 Championship of African Nations (CHAN) last round qualifier at the Baba Yara Stadium, Kumasi, on Sunday.
The results put Ghana’s neighbours in a pole position to advance to next year’s championship in Cameroon, if they are able to consolidate their victory with a favourable scoreline in the second leg in Ouagadougou.
Daredevil of a striker, Wendyam Yannick Stephane, fetched the only goal for the Local Stallions on the stroke of full time to break the hearts of the Stars.
It was the second consecutive time they had beaten the Stars at home, and the wild jubilation by the Burkinabes after the match aptly described the mood in which they found themselves.
The Ghanaians have themselves to blame for the lack of precision upfront as they kept squandering in succession the numerous clear-cut chances they were presented with.
The Local Stallions eliminated the Black Stars ‘B’ from the last edition of the CHAN qualifiers via a 4-3 goal aggregate.
On the match itself, the Stallions’ agile goalie, Aboubacar Sawadogo, proved equal to the daunting task as he constantly came to the rescue of the visitors.
Ghana would be denied from scoring in the fifth and seventh minutes with timely saves from the goalie to keep his side in the game.
Joseph Esoo, Augustine Okrah and Emmanuel Gyamfi on numerous occasions in the first half looked threatening, but would find it difficult going past the Burkinabe goalie.
On resumption in the second half, Ghana threw caution to the wind and attacked their opponents in droves.
However, the Local Stallions against the run of play would find a redeemer in Wendyam as he beat Ghana’s goalie Felix Annan for the only goal of the match.
The goal came from a defensive blunder on the part of the Stars.
Source: GNA
