The Ghana Black Galaxies took a giant leap to qualification as they put their West African neighbors, Benin to the sword in the first leg of the CHAN qualifiers at the Cape Coast Sports Stadium.
Coach Annor Walker named a strong starting eleven to do honors and they didn’t disappoint as they started the early exchanges of the game on the bright foot.
Augustine Randolph’s cross was adjudged to have hit the hand of the opposition player hence a penalty which, Daniel Afriyie Barnieh calmly slotted to give the host the lead.
A well-worked goal five minutes after the first goal had gone in saw Jonah Attuquaye’s goal ruled out for offside but that didn’t deter the host who held on to their slender lead to halftime.
After the recess, the Black Galaxies mounted a lot of pressure on the Squirrels and it paid off as Mohammed Alhassan got on to an Imoro Ibrahim cross which the away side sloppily cleared to hand the home side the second goal of the game.
The introduction of Karela United’s top goal scorer, Umar Bashiru who gave the side an assured level of stability and fluidity paid of as he threaded a fantastic ball to the feet of captain, Gladson Awako, who sublimely wrapped his feet around the ball to score the third of Black Galaxies to down their opponents from Benin.
The Black Galaxies will hope the return leg to be staged in Benin will go according to plan with Nigeria in wait for the next hurdle.
